Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish
by Odama Rasendori
Summary: SEQUEL to Voice of the Wanderer. Naruto is enjoying the remainder of his life but is given once in a lifetime offer from an old face from the old days. If you could save all whom you failed to protect... wouldn't you? Nar/Ino. Rated M for mild language and some illicit content. CHAPTER 7, UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto.**

**Weeeeellll... hello there everyone. Yes I know, I pretty much bummed the first story after chapter 11. I thought it was going cool and all but after rereading chapters 12 and on, I realized that I could have just ended it at chapter 11. At first, I decided to keep chapters 12-17 on the first story, for my readers to juggle with at their leisure, but went on with removing it. I don't want new readers getting confused. If any new readers out there wants to read chapters 12-17, send me a PM and I'll get it to you. However, this sequel starts off from chapter 11 and will follow a much different direction.  
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**NOTE: This sequel will not have the same ideas I once had for chapter 12 and on, from VotW 1. Basically, it's only a few weeks after the events of VotW 1; October-ish. There may be some returning characters from said chapters, such as the biju spirits. Still thinking about that.**

**NOTE #2: Why did I decide to write again? Well, I have had the first installment in My Documents since it was written and have been reading it and rereading it. I felt the first one was too short, which is why I'm continuing it.**

**NOTE #3: -reserved for future notes-**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Invitations**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

*beep*

*beep*

*beep*

*smack*

I groaned slightly as my eyes fluttered open but closed almost immediately. The sun's radiant beams of ultra violet light made its way to my eyes, practically blinding me for all of two seconds before reflexes kicked in, shutting my eyelids. I rolled off of bed and placed a foot on the carpeted floor to support myself. I tossed my covers to the side, vowing to make my bed later after the throbbing in my head ceased. What the heck happened last night to make me feel this bad? Let's see... I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, I didn't... sleep early either. I sighed to myself. Last night's events are a blur but I think I can recall bits and pieces.

Last night was October 10, my 518th birthday. Up to this day, no one but Ino, my girlfriend, knows about my dirty little secret and she's been true to her word by not slipping an inch of my past to anyone else. I sat on the edge of my bed, eyes half closed. My mouth was full of dried saliva and other things my brain can't seem to process. I looked to my alarm clock, seeing the dent on the top. I must have hit it harder than I thought. Forcing some chakra into my legs, I stood up and made my way to the restroom to freshen up as recurring memories slipped into my train of thought.

I came home fairly late last night, from school, and walked into a pitch black living room. I found that odd since I always left some sort of light source on when I leave my house. I supposed there might be some kind of burglar. Small-time crooks like those have been increasingly active as of late. I flipped a light switch to the side and was greeted by a bunch of screaming voices from my friends, all screaming "happy birthday Naruto!" I glanced to my watch, reading that it was indeed October 10, my birthday. I only told Ino, some time ago, but I guess she told everyone else.

Although a school day, my friends all came over to celebrate my birthday. It was one of the best experiences of my life. There was music, tons of food, dancing, blowing candles, karaoke, and people getting drunk. Kiba and Neji had a few connections with local liquor stores and snuck some of that crap into my house. They tried to force some on me but I politely refused. I've only indulged a sip of alchohol once in my life and hated it. Since then, I decided never to drink again. I got a variety of birthday presents from everyone. They don't know how loaded I am but it's the thought that counts.

Ino's present was the most interesting of all.

Lately, she's been acting very conservative with private or public displays of affection, more so than usual. For example, whenever I felt like having sex, which wasn't very often but happened enough times, I would ask her. Most times she would decline, saying she doesn't want to spoil the activity. She said if we do it too much, we might stop appreciating such a sacred bond. I understand, I suppose. Yesterday, however, her present to me was a boundary-less sexual activity. Interestingly enough, there was no need for a condom either. She simply stated it was a safe day.

Oh will the coincidences never cease?

A safe day on my birthday just sounded too great to be true. Of course we did it after everyone departed. I smiled at the thought as I began brushing my teeth. It felt incredible. Sex altogether feels great, but this time there was no physical protection. No condoms, no pills, nothing of the sort at all. I think it's a moment to remember. I nodded to myself as I spat the foamy substance out of my mouth and applied finishing touches to my brushing and stepped into the shower. I've gotten used to taking brief showers. I walked out after a few minutes with a towel wrapped around my waist.

"Good morning," came the sweet and subtle voice of my loving angel. She lay comfortably on the other side of my bed. The blond opened her eyes to me and sat up, pulling the white covers to her chest. Her bare back was exposed but it's alright. We're alone in my room. I crept into bed and kissed her softly. Ino smiled into the kiss. "Mmm... sleep well?"

"Yeah. Last night was amazing," I said as she got up, taking the entire blanket with her. Ino made her way to the restroom and left the door slightly open.

"Cherish it, Naruto. The next one like that won't be until we're a little older," she said. Ino stuck her hand out of the door, holding a portion of my blanket. I took it and folded it before placing it on my bed. I heard the faucet water running as I pulled my school uniform out of my closet.

"Ino, tell me again why you're being so conservative," I said. I know the reason but I don't know why she's doing it so suddenly. One day, we were pretty much a happy-go-lucky couple. Now it seems like she's distancing the physical part of our relationship. My girlfriend stuck her head out, mouth full of foamy toothpaste. Her hair was surprisingly straight and well-kept despite last night's events.

"I want us to continue appreciating these moments together. I already told you this. If we do it too much, it'll become a chore and we'll both be tired of it. Next thing you know, we'll only want to do it to appease our sexual desires." she said, gargoling it all out. I pressed my lips together. Isn't that kind of the point of sex? I mean, aside from love? "I'm sorry, Naruto. You're a guy with needs. I'm your lover and I should act more like one. There is another set of reasons for why I'm doing this, which I'll divulge to you at a later time. For now, just trust in my decision."

"I guess. You've never led me the wrong way before," I said as I wore my black trousers on. Ino stepped into the shower and stopped talking. I glanced to a mirror and found my hair already spiking up on its own as the dampness went away. I opened my bottle of hair gel and applied a small amount on my hair. Entering the bathroom, I washed my hands and dried them. My eyes swerved to the mirror that reflected my girlfriend's beautiful figure. Unfortunately, there are curtains that hide her body.

Darn.

"Ino, I can still oogle at you, right?" I asked, scoffing a little.

"Yes I suppose, just not in public. I'm embarassed enough when we're alone," she said as I wore my shirt and tie. "Speaking of which, I noticed you've been doing that out in the open a lot lately. I know you're at that age, Naruto, but I need you to control yourself."

"On the contrary, I'm almost about five lifetimes past that age. However, I'll try to control myself a little more. It's really difficult when my girlfriend is super gorgeous," I said as Ino turned the shower water off and grabbed a dry, blue towel on the hamper to the side. She stepped out with dripping hair and the towel wrapped around her torso. The towel hugged at her beautiful frame. I couldn't help but to stare again. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, you don't have an off switch for your hormones, do you?" she asked. I shook my head with a smile and finished with my tie. I reached for a hanger behind my door, which held her school uniform, and handed it to her. "Thanks. Well, this is the part when I ask you to leave so I can get dressed."

"Aww.. but you said I could oogle when we're alone," I said with the voice tone of a child. Ino walked to me and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Stop that. Now go. We'll be late for school if we keep holding up like this," she said as she shooed me out of my own bathroom. I let out a soft sigh and stepped out to grab my jacket, sneakers, and back pack. This is how life has been ever since Ino started sleeping over at my place more often than usual. Her father flew overseas to America to conduct his usual business. Ino's house is usually empty now. We swing by to clean up every few days or so, but most of our life takes place at my house.

I knocked on the bathroom door after I was finished putting the rest of my uniform on.

"I'll be downstairs."

"Okay. I'll be down in a couple of minutes."

I grabbed my back pack and left for the kitchen. I glanced to the microwave that sat comfortably atop the tiled-counter, about two and a half feet from the sink. The green digital numbers read 7:04am. Like hell we'll be late. School starts at 8:30am. We could have sex and still have a few minutes to spare. I shrugged my shoulders and instead started breakfast. With almost an hour and a half to spare, I decided on making some scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon. Ino doesn't eat bacon, something about it being too oily and bad for her figure. I agree, to an extent. But I like bacon.

Ino came down, a little more than a couple of minutes later. I noticed her hair was still a little damp but tied up in its usual ponytail. It was low this time, as if she didn't take much time in doing her hair. I found that strange as Ino takes pride in her long hair. She has the longest hair in school, aside from one of Sasuke's friends; Kin. She snatched the strip of bacon I had in my mouth and threw it in the trash can. My jaw fell.

"Hey, you may not like bacon but I do," I complained, stuffing a smaller bacon strip in my mouth. Because of its smaller size, Ino was unable to take it from me. For the second time this morning, she rolled her eyes and took some scrabbled eggs into her mouth.

"That stuff is really bad for you, Naruto," she said. I shook my head slightly and pulled up my shirt from under my belt, revealing my toned abs to her. Ino's shoulders fell and smiled, licking her lips in the process. And she's the conservative one? I'm starting to get a little worried here. Ino reached out to touch them when I lowered my shirt back down. "Hey!"

"Saw all that? I've been eating bacon for years and it doesn't affect me in the slightest bit," I said as I stuffed two more strips of bacon into my mouth, and some rice.

"Naruto, not everyone can mold fat-burning chakra like you can," she retorted.

Fat-burning chakra? What is this blasphemy? If I could do that, I would have taught the Choji of the shinobi era. It would have saved him a lot of headaches during childhood from being teased because of his weight. Ino picked into my breakfast but didn't touch the bacon, avoiding it like a plague. When that was finished, she opened the garage and hopped in her car.

Since she "moved" in, we haven't been using my motorcycle. It just sits in my garage, collecting dust. She was complaining about how it was indecent for girls who wore such short skirts for school uniform. I never had a problem with it, but then again I'm not a girl. Because motorcycles travel so fast and have zero visual protection from the back, the drivers and people behind us can probably see Ino's underwear. I understood immediately why she would want to use a car instead. It's her father's car, which he entrusted to her; a 2009 red corolla. I entered the passenger seat and closed my garage door as she drove off.

"Erm... Ino, you seem like you're in a hurry. It's only 7:15am. It only takes half an hour to get to school from my house. Today is Thursday, so you don't have any student council meetings. Midterms are at early December and we don't have any tests today," I said to her. Ino kept her focus on the road. I noticed the odometer at 45 miles per hour. We had just passed a 35 mph sign a second ago. I looked to Ino once more.

"There's something I need to do before classes start," she said. I nodded slowly. "And no I can't tell you, at least not yet."

I raised an eyebrow and looked below her seat belt, to her mid section. Apparently, Ino caught my stare. She placed a hand on the front edge of her skirt and pulled it down a bit.

"Naruto, why are you looking down there?" she asked, her face flushing as she pulled her skirt down a little. "I know I said you could but I also asked you to control yourself. Don't make me regret last night. You already had your way with me."

I shook my head.

"I was just wondering if you had to go to the toilet. If that's so, it would explain why you're driving..." I checked the odometer again and instantly understood why my body was being pulled to my seat. "... 53 miles per hour on a 35 zone. This isn't a freeway either and although there are no cops, you really should slow down. If you really have to go, you can stop by a fast food restaurant."

Ino stopped at a red light.

"Idiot, that's not it," she said as she stepped on the gas pedal the moment the traffic light turned green. There were several cars in front of her but enough space to cut in. Instead of cutting in, Ino started drifting all around them. At first, I was pretty surprised to know that my girlfriend was an expert at drifting. Her '09 corolla isn't stick-shift, but automatic. Even so, she can drift with ease by switching from D to 4 respectively. This really reminds me of the American and Japanese movie; The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

We made it to the school parking lot in twenty minutes.

Ino pecked me on the cheek and stepped out quickly.

"I'll you at recess, Naruto," she said as she ran into the school with the key still in its slot and the engine still on. I removed the key and locked the car after closing everything.

"Hoy! Uzumaki!" shouted a voice behind me. I already know who that is. I can even smell him. Inuzuka Kiba caught up to me. Hinata wasn't with him as I thought she would be since they're dating and all. "That girlfriend of yours... her drifting is insane! I saw my life flash before my eyes when she drifted past me. Tell her to control herself, will you? And what's the rush, by the way?"

And she tells me to control myself...

"Hell if I know. She said she'd tell me later," I said as he and I continued to school.

Shikamaru and Temari were already there, playing a game of shogi and chess at the same time. Those two strategists will never change. A few unfamiliar students were around as well, but not a sign of Ino anywhere. I wonder where she ran off to, and for the matter, why? I don't want to pry but she only drifts when she needs to get somewhere quickly. As far as I know, there's no reason she should be rushing to school of all places. She said she'd tell me soon, so waiting is my only option. Kiba and I walked over to our usual table.

"Make your move already, Shikamaru," said a bored Temari. She had her head rested against her hand. Her elbow rested on the table for support.

"Pipe down, woman. Chess and Shogi are games of strategy and patience, both of which you're sorely lacking," he said as he grabbed a shogi and chess piece and moved them on the board. Temari's eyes widened. "I think this clears our 41-41 draw."

The blond gritted her teeth as the pineapple head looked to me.

"Ohayo, Uzumaki, Inuzuka," he greeted, looking particularly at me. "Hey, I saw your girlfriend running with the speed of a marathon track runner. Mind telling me what's up?"

"He doesn't know," said Kiba. "The chick drifted in front of me, going at least 55 something miles per hour at Kazama Street. She almost nicked the nose of my '06 Nissan. I know it's not the prettiest car in Japan, or America, but not everyone is made of money."

"50 miles per hour? Kazama Street is a 35mph zone. How strange," said Temari, placing the two board games and their pieces away. "Ino only drifts when she's in a hurry."

"Yeah, I said that too," said Kiba. I shrugged my shoulders. "Uzumaki has no idea either, and he's the girl's boyfriend."

Temari placed a finger on her chin.

"Well... it could be... you know," she looked to Shikamaru. The teen narrowed his eyes for a moment before his face lit up like a Christmas Tree. He nudged Kiba to the side, who had the same effect. The three of them looked to me simultaneously. I returned their glances without a word to say. "Gosh, if that's the reason, then no wonder."

"Alright, what the heck is going?" I asked, no longer able to take the fact that my friends knew what was going on about my girlfriend when I don't. Kiba shook his head.

"If blondie is right, then only Yamanaka can tell you. We all know because we've known her longer. Don't worry though, you'll find out soon," he said. I grunted at that, picked up my stuff and marched inside the school's main building, to my locker. I hate not knowing something that is so important. It makes me feel uneasy and increasingly agitated the more I find out people know what's going on while I don't. There was no one but one person in the senior hallway, aside from me. Hinata's locker was positioned at the opposite side of mine.

"Good morning Hinata," I greeted, approaching my locker. She smiled to me and opened her locker. A white envelope fell out. I watched Hinata pick it up with interest. With one glance, the pale girl nodded slowly.

"So it's finally time then," she said to herself but loud enough for me to hear. We're not that far apart and my senses are all heightened because of shinobi training. I pulled out the necessary materials for the first two classes of the day and stuffed the rest inside, shutting it. I walked over to Hinata, who was reading the contents of the envelope. I was only able to make out one or two random words when my shadow loomed enough for her to notice. Hinata pulled the letter away.

"Sorry, Naruto. You aren't allowed to read this!" the girl shrieked. I grunted again as I walked outside. What the hell is this big secret that everyone seems to know but me? Ino said she'd tell me later but it's getting frustrating when she's telling everyone but me. Why do I have to be the last one to find out? I heard footsteps coming from behind me.

"Naruto, please don't be angry," said Hinata. I said nothing as I found my path in the school library. I sat in front of a wooden, circular table and opened my history book to some random page. I'm too irritated to read or even do anything. Hinata sat next to me. I let out a deep sigh.

"You know what? I don't care anymore. If I'm going to be left out of the loop, then that's fine by me," I said in a hushed voice. There were a few people around, but not many. "Tell me something though, Hinata. Why am I the only one who doesn't get to know?"

"I... I'm sorry. I can't tell you anything," she replied softly. I could swear a vein popped on my forehead. I shouldn't let this bother me. It's their secret, not mine. Maybe Kiba is right. They've known her longer than I have. I've only recently entered their lives... in their sense of course. I glanced to my watch, reading 7:42am. The bell for first period will ring in a little less than an hour. I was hoping for today to be a normal day, or at least turning to my favor since it was just my birthday yesterday.

I have a feeling today is going to suck.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The day flew exactly the way I thought it would. When the first bell rang, I watched my friends closely as they opened their lockers and saw white envelopes fall out as they opened them. Actually, Sakura, Temari, Hinata, and Tenten received white envelopes. Lee, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji got black envelopes. They even had shared facial expressions upon receiving their envelopes. It's like they all knew what was going on. I checked my locker and still found nothing, no envelope.

I proceeded to my first class and second class; History and Japanese Literature. Sure enough, Shikamaru and Tenten didn't mention a thing about the envelopes to me. Hinata's lips were still sealed shut. I noticed Sai also had a black envelope. When I approached him about it, he quickly changed the subject. A girl at the back of the class, Rin, had a white envelope. Rin is one of the people who tagged along with the Sasuke of the past. In this era, she doesn't follow him. She has spiked-down, hot-pink hair and wears rectangular-shaped glasses.

When the bell rang to dismiss our second class, students filed out of their rooms and left for their lockers. I sluggishly left, waiting for everyone else to make it out of class. As I walked to my locker, I felt a bump behind me. I looked to see who it was. My jaw dropped for the second time today. I've been attending this school for a few months now and this is the first time I've seen this kid around here. Spiky-black hair and a blue scarf around his neck; Konohamaru. His eyes widened at me for a moment before he moved to the side and continued running.

There was a black envelope sticking out of his pocket. Behind him was Hinata's younger sister, Hanabi. She ran after Konohamaru, shouting at him for being a clumsy idiot. In the past, he kind of is. I saw that she was holding a white envelope on her left hand. So far, the ones with a black envelope are Lee, Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, Sai, and Konohamaru. The ones with the white envelope are Sakura, Temari, Hinata, Tenten, Rin, and Hanabi. When I arrived at my locker, I was so frustrated at these stupid envelopes when one fell out of my locker.

At first, I was ecstatic to finally receive one. I noticed it wasn't white or black but yellow. I opened it and found a sheet of blank, white paper inside. There was nothing written on it. When I saw Hinata's letter, there were words on hers but nothing on mine. I snarled and tore the paper and the envelope to shreds, tossing the pieces to a nearby trash can. If this is a trick, it lost its humor hours ago. I stuffed my books inside my locker and walked outside, seeing my friends, even Ino, at our usual hangout spot.

I had the urge to go there but decided against it. I turned around and headed for the library instead, spending the rest of recess in there. I watched them from a window, having the time of their lives. I want to be with them but I'm just not in the mood. It's not funny that they're keeping some kind of secret from me. Hinata won't even let me read her letter, not even a peek. It's safe to assume that I'd get the same reply from the others who have an envelope. I turned away and felt a tap on my shoulder. The former Kazekage sat in front of me, watching the others have fun as well.

"You seem troubled, Uzumaki," he said.

"It's... I don't know. Was there ever a time when your friends all knew something that they kept from you, Gaara?" I asked him. His expressionless face reminded me about Sai. Back in the past, he would show very little emotion. Nothing gets to him, even at this era. The red-head continued to watch our friends.

"You're talking about those envelopes they've got, aren't you?" he asked. I gulped and nodded. Gaara shook his head and looked to me. He brandished a black envelope. I groaned to myself. "I found this in my locker. It's from Yamanaka. Matsuri got one too, but a white one."

"Really? Can I read it?" I asked with renewed enthusiasm, reaching for the envelope. Gaara pulled his hand back and took out a blue marker from his pocket. He placed the letter down and scribbled on it so the contents were full of blue except for one phrase. He passed the letter to me but pocketed the envelope. I read the phrase twice, three times, and I just don't understand. "It says _'don't mention anything to Naruto.'_ Why does it say that? Why doesn't she want me to know?"

"I haven't the foggiest," he said as he stood up. Matsuri, his brown-haired second year girlfriend, stood beside the door frame. I heard her speak to him in hushed whisper, asking if he told me anything. Gaara placed an arm across the backside of her shoulder, walking her away without replying.

"Gaara, wait!" I shouted after him, only to have him turn his back on me and walked away with Matsuri. The librarian and everyone else in the library shushed me. I sighed and looked at the letter Gaara gave me. The revealed print is colored blue. That means every word on this letter was blue. Because Gaara used a blue marker to cover the contents, there's no way for me to find out what any of it said. This is really pissing me off. I don't want this to ruin my day so I should just talk to Ino about it. I walked out of the library and made my way to the table where everyone was.

Ino looked to me with a very slight smile. The others acknowledged my presence for a moment before returning to whatever it was they were doing. I looked to my girlfriend. I want to know what all this is about, seriously. I opened my mouth to speak but something totally different came out.

"Hey, did you finish whatever it was you needed to do this morning?" I asked. I couldn't do it. She said she would tell me and I guess my conscience is waiting for that. I don't want to pry the information from her, as much as I want to, without waiting until she's ready to tell me. I noticed her smile falter.

"Yeah, I did."

"I see," I said as I pulled out her car keys and handed them to her. "Here. I'm going home early today. Just tell me what assignments we've got for the rest of our classes."

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I said as I walked back to the main building to get my stuff. I paused for a moment. "I really don't want to go, I'll be honest. It's just that, with all that's been happening today... never mind. I'll see you tomorrow."

I didn't bother looking back to her. I heard silence among my friends as I walked away. I don't care for what they're talking about anymore. They can keep me out of the loop if they want to. I have better things to do than to run around blindly without being able to rely on them to guide me. I've been doing it for five centures so what difference will another one make? I knew it was too good to be true. These guys are nothing like their past lives.

I grabbed my back pack from my locker and conjured a shadow clone, instructing him to use the transformation jutsu to turn into an image of my mother, Uzumaki Kushina. No one in this school has ever met this woman before, so I should be safe. There's no recorded pictures about her face either and if there is, it's been over 500 years. There's no way anyone would believe her to still be alive. The shadow clone of my mother was dressed in blue jeans and a black sweater. Her red hair flowed down from her back. I wonder if her hair is longer than Ino's...

When I received the clear to go home from the attendance office, I dismissed my clone and stepped into the restroom to performed the Hiraishin no Jutsu, teleporting back to my house. I quickly changed into some spare clothes, a pair of black jeans, a blue long sleeve shirt, and a red sweater over it. I stepped out of the house with my back pack, hoping to get a bit of studying done while pondering to myself in peace. I went to some grassy plains, south of my house. I come here often when I need to be by myself. Not even Ino knows about this area.

I placed my back pack on a wooden bench and sat down. It's not very windy today, which usually helps me to fall asleep. Fortunately, there aren't any children playing around here. A few kids know about this place and I see them every now and then. I pulled out my history book and opened it to the chapter discussed in class today. I found myself reading for a few minutes before falling asleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Nnnggh..." I groaned as my eyes flicked open.

I thought for a moment I had gone blind when I saw my surroundings to be pitch black. I was corrected upon seeing the light of the moon looming above the sky. I felt myself falling asleep while reading my history book but I didn't know I'd sleep for so long. Some of my fatigue from last night must have persisted longer than I thought. I didn't get much reading done but I should head home. My watch reads 11:30pm. I came here exactly twelve hours ago. I can't believe I slept for so long. I hope the last bits of my birthday party's tiredness has left me. Twelve hours of sleep is an insane amount of time.

I packed my text book in my back pack and picked it up, only to see something fall out of it. I bent to the grassy ground to pick up an opened pack of magical sticks. I've seen these in recent commercials. You write with one marker but the ink can't be revealed unless you shade over it with the other marker. I don't remember ever purchasing markers like these. I have no interest in this kind of thing. If I'm going to write something with invisible ink, I'd rather write it with a normal pencil and make it invisible using genjutsu. There's no trash cans nearby. I guess I'll throw it when I get home.

I was about to pocket it when something struck me like a lightning bolt. This morning, when I opened my locker, a yellow envelope fell out. There was a folded sheet of paper inside it with no writing. I pulled out the magical markers. If my hunch is right then these markers were used to write a hidden message on the envelope. But what were these doing inside my back pack? I don't remember ever buying-

My eyes widened in sudden realization as I flipped through a set of hand seals. I gave Ino usage of my locker and its combination, a couple of months ago when she told me she gave her locker to a friend in need.

"Ii, ino, tori, saru, hitsugi," I whispered while molding some chakra. I jumped into the sky and set my palm below me, releasing my chakra into the empty space. "Ninpo: Kuchiose no Jutsu!"

In an explosion of gray smoke, the boss toad Gamakichi appeared. I landed on his head.

"Talk later, move now!" I commanded. The toad raised an eyebrow but complied. "Kichi, I need you to jump about twenty-five miles north. Make them big jumps and try to land as softly on the ground as possible. I don't want you to make any tracks."

"Moron, you're insane. I weigh over a hundred tons. I'm bound to cause tracks whether I want to or not," he said as he lowered his body. "But alright. I trust you have some kind of jutsu to hide my tracks. Five hundred years must have done some good in improving that empty skull of yours, I hope."

With a massive leap, Gamakichi soared into the sky, traveling in speeds impossible to any ground-based modern vehicle. I formed a hand seal for an earth style jutsu. Whenever Gamakichi stomped on the ground, my jutsu would mend the spot, removing any signs of his giant footprints. In about five minutes, we arrived at Kono High School. I jumped off of him and dismissed him. As he vanished in a puff of large smoke, I jumped the fence and ran to the main building. The trash can I threw the shreds of paper, this morning, is inside. There's a metal lock and chain on the entrance.

I looked to see there was no one around but me. I then conjured a Rasengan on my right hand smashed it into the lock. The small typhoon destroyed the steel with relative ease. How I'm going to explain this one is better left a secret. There are no video cameras or anything so I should be fine. I ran over to the trash can and saw piles of trash inside. This morning, when I threw the shreds of paper, there wasn't much trash but now there is. I figured this would be the case, so I came prepared... or rather somewhat prepared. I focused some chakra into my fingertips.

"Please oh please don't let me suck with this puppet master jutsu," I begged to myself. Kankuro was the one who taught me this, in secret of course, back in the past during a visit to the hidden sand village.

Applying chakra strings isn't only for puppets but for grabbing things with the user's residual chakra still embedded. When the blue chakra threads came into view, I inserted my hand in the trash can. Piece by piece, I was able to pull out the shreds of paper I threw in there, and placed them in my pocket. Because I touched them earlier, bits of my chakra remained, allowing the puppet strings to stick to them. When there wasn't any left inside the trash can, I wrapped my hands with my shirt and closed the door. This way, I wouldn't get any finger prints on the metal handle.

I ran out of the school and to a safe place. I laid the pieces of paper on the ground. Now comes the hard part. I pulled out the magical markers and uncapped the one that reveals hidden words written by the other marker. I shaded the unseen ink on each side of piece piece of paper. There were ten pieces in total. When every side was applied with revealing ink, my theory was proven correct as pink words began to show up on some. I flipped over the ones that didn't have any words on them and saw writing on the other side. I then pieced them together like a jig-saw puzzle. When that was finished, I was able to read the contents properly.

_To my dearest Uzumaki Naruto_

_I know you're a bit slow on things like these but I'm glad you were able to figure out the little doo-dad that I did here. If you're reading this, you might have already noticed most of our friends with white and black envelopes. The guys have black ones and the girls have white ones. They all had a fixed message written on their letters; invitation cards. _

_Yours is special, like you are to me, so I wrote it by hand unlike their computer-typed messages. Now, you might be wondering what the cards invite the person to. I never told you this but my 18th birthday is coming up at mid March. It's almost mid October now so there's about five months in between._

_My father and I have been talking on the phone for a few days. He's been working with my mother to set up what is called a debut. It's something he's adopting from the Americans but with a bit of Japanese culture in it. A debut is basically a special 18th birthday party celebration for young American women. _

_I'm allowed to choose sixteen members for my court; eight guys, eight girls. For a while now, I've already had fourteen people in mind, which left me with two more invitations. It was only recently when I decided they should go to Kankuro and the daughter of the ramen chef you took me to on our first date; Ayame. She's an alumni from Kono High School, one year ahead of us, and was happy to accept my invitation._

_The members of my court are: Lee, Sakura, Shikamaru, Temari, Kiba, Hinata, Neji, Tenten, Sai, Rin, Gaara, Matsuri, Kankuro, Ayame, Konohamaru, and Hanabi. I'm what is known as the debutante, as it's my birthday celebration. You have a part to play in here but it's your choice if you want to come. _

_Basically, your decision determines whether this party will take place or not. Naruto, I want you to be my escort. You are the one my heart treasures the most. My father knows it and he'll probably tell my mother. It was formerly Sasuke, but you know how that turned out. The others weren't allowed to tell you anything at all, regarding this celebration. It was my mother's idea, to see if your heart beats with mine._

_Please give me your answer before tomorrow. I will not allow anyone else to be my escort but you._

_With all the love in my heart,_

_Yamanaka Ino_

"Oh shit..." I gritted my teeth as I glanced to my watch.

The time read 11:50pm. Ino doesn't have the keys to my house so she's probably at her place. Ever since she started sleeping over at my place, she returned the three-pronged kunai from her house, back to me. I won't be able to teleport there. I can't summon Gamakichi yet. Summoning him and hiding his footprints with my jutsu took a massive toll on my chakra reserves. I don't have the fox in me anymore, which brings my chakra total to an amount equal to a jonin-anbu shinobi. The Rasengan and chakra strings also added to the depletion of my chakra reserves. My not-so-good chakra control is another detriment to my current dilema.

I have ten minutes to get to Ino's house, which is half an hour from school via motorcycle. I could run there but I wouldn't get very far as I'm quite exhausted. Without the fox, along with my chakra reserves at an utter low, there's only one thing left to do if I'm to reach Ino in time. I still have enough chakra to conjure a few shadow clones, and then I'll have reached my limit. I formed a hand seal and summoned three shadow clones. The clones sat still for a few moments, as did I. We closed our eyes to meditate. The trees, the leaves, the ground, the sky, the air, everything around us can be used to conjure nature chakra.

My eyes snapped open after a few seconds, feeling reinvigorated with the Sage's chakra; I entered Sage-mode.

Lowering my body slightly, I sped forward at a speed that darted passed any moving vehicle. I haven't had much use for the Sage-mode except for times of war. It's one of the key reasons why I'm still alive. With Sage-mode, all of my physical attributes are increased exponentially. It's what I've been relying on during tight situations, now that I no longer possess the fox's spirit. During Sage-mode, not only are my physical abilities heightened, I no longer have to rely on my own chakra for power. I can use the nature around me.

Having gone through intense training over the years, I can now dismiss my clones from any range without any difficulty. I had to learn to do this during the Civil War. The technique would either be perfected or I'd have been shot in the face by enemy gunfire. I wasn't at my prime during the Civil War due to the Kyuubi's power inside my body. It was then that I was forced to further master my Sage-mode. It carried me through my toughest ordeals and I'm going to use it again tonight.

I checked my watch, reading the digital numbers to reveal the current time; 11:52pm.

I have exactly eight minutes left but I've already covered a good distance, at least a third of the way is behind me. I increased my pace once more, now entering mach speed. Normally, I'd have no time limit on my Sage-mode but after the Kyuubi's power left me for good, I realized there was no time limit because of the demon's chakra. Sage-mode, in retrospect, is a power meter that drains not only by the duration of its activation but depending on how much nature chakra I'm consuming. I formed a hand seal on one hand, dismissing a clone to refresh my Sage-mode.

I soon arrived afront Ino's main door without any clones remaining. I rang the door bell once and glanced to my watch. It's 11:58pm. Please, please, please don't let me be too late. When there was no answer, I figured she would be asleep. I stood back and blasted the door down to tiny bits of splinters with two Rasengans, one on each hand. I conjured two shadow clones and had them transform into random people to stand watch outside while I ran to Ino's room. The Sage's chakra left me. Those two clones were the last of whatever I still had left. Ino was fast asleep in bed. I placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her softly in the lips.

The female blond grunted a bit before her eyes fluttered open.

"N-Naruto? What are you doing here so late?" she asked as she sat up.

"Sorry about earlier but my answer is yes. I will be your escort for your debut," I said. Ino's face lit up like a lantern and tackled me to the floor. "I said no earlier and I hope you didn't take that as my answer to your debut request. It's only 11:59pm so I'm not too late, right?"

"You're right on time," she said as she smiled to me. "You had me worried though. I couldn't reach you by cell phone. Was it off?"

"Yes, I apologize for that," I said as I locked her lips with mine for a few seconds. "Oh and, I'm sorry about your front door too. I'll fix it later."

Ino narrowed her eyes at me.

"What did you do to my front door?"

"I love you, Ino."

"Yeah, yeah, now what did you do to my front door?" she repeated. I could only smile innocently at her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Ino's Debut**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto.**

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**Chapter 2: Preparations**

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"Ow! Ow! Ooowww!" I cried out as Ino whacked a pillow at my face. "I said I was sorry! I tried using the door bell but you were asleep. I had no other choice but to-"

"Obliterate my front door? Naruto-kun, this is a huge mess! How will I explain this to my father when he comes home today?" she asked.

Oh... a minor setback.

I conjured about five shadow clones to clean up the mess while I drove back home using Ino's car. She was reluctant in letting me borrow it but we had no other choice. I made sure to grab my power tools and a bunch of other materials to fix her door. For emergencies, spare materials are always kept but I don't keep much of it since my house is reenforced with chakra-embedded steel for an endoskeleton. I also took a three-pronged kunai to give to Ino. I'll have to convince her to always keep it by her side. It's considered a lethal weapon but she won't use it for self defense. She doesn't know how to.

When I returned, Ino was pacing around the living room while the shadow clones were trying to calm her down. The mess I made on her front door had been cleaned up. I ordered my clones to start fixing the door with the tools I brought from home while I took the job in calming my girlfriend down by preparing some tea. It's a good thing it's the middle of the night so most people are asleep. If they woke up to see five identical clones, they might start asking questions. Just in case, I placed some sound barrier seals around the house. I found out that I'm actually pretty good with sealing jutsus, just like my father was.

Ino sipped a bit of hot tea and tried to regulate her breathing pattern. I sat beside her.

"You know, I heard sex relieves tension," I suggested. She shot a glare at me. I receded into the couch. "Sorry, just offering a thought. You aren't suffering from a bipolar disorder, are you? I mean, you were pretty happy a while ago but now it's the complete opposite."

"Is sex the only thing you think about, Naruto-kun?"

"Well, no of course not. There's also school stuff, friends, um... gimme a minute," I said. Ino sighed and sipped more tea. "I'll get back to you on that. But really, I just want you to calm down a little. My clones will finish fixing your front door before your dad gets back... which is when exactly?"

"Seven hours from now," she replied miserably. I was about to say something when one of my clones shouted, holding up an electric saw and waved it around as if trying desperately to gain my attention.

"Hoy! The batteries are dead. There's no power cord either. We used this last year to make the shed in the back yard and accidentally cut the power cord, remember?" said the clone. I formed an "o" with my lips, instantly recalling that memory. I looked to Ino and smiled the most innocent smile I could. Her eyes were burning like a demon.

"Uh... another minor setback," I said as I stood and backed away. Ino was now hyperventilating.

"Oh wait, here's a spare battery," said the clone as power was returned to the tool. I breathed a sigh of relief. Ino trudged to me and gripped both hands on my shirt.

"You want to give me a heart attack, don't you? You want me to die young, is that it?" she said, shaking me violently. I feel as though I somewhat deserve this. After about a minute of ceaseless violent shaking, she let go of me and sat back down. It then became my responsibility to find my footing before tripping and falling over. I sat next to her again. "At least you make the relationship fun."

"I do, don't I?"

"Don't let it get to your head," she said.

Ino downed the rest of her tea and relaxed on the couch, her head rested on my lap. She's dressed in her sleeping pajamas; a pair of loose, blue and white striped pants, with a matching long sleeve top. It wasn't buttoned all the way up to allow for some ventilation. From this angle, I can see some exposed cleavage. I could just reach out for it but I have to control myself for her sake. She probably left it unbuttoned because she thought she would be alone until morning.

"Naruto... kun. I feel so... sleepy," Ino said softly. "What was in that tea?"

"Chemical-X," I replied using a Jekyl and Hide voice tone, complete with the widely opened eyes and a flashlight to my chin. As for the Chemical-X, I remembered the term from a recent Powerpuff Girls rerun. "I'm kidding. I put some herbs in there to calm your body down and help you sleep. You might not remember this incident because of the herbs. They're very powerful."

"So... if you took advantage... of my body, I wouldn't... remember it?" she asked innocently, looking to my eyes. Now that she mentions it, that's a good point. Ino reached and cupped my cheek with one hand, lowering my face down. The rest of my body moved so we were next to each other. I took the edge of the couch to keep her safe. We were so close that her breasts were pressed against my chest. With half-closed eyes, my girlfriend leaned in to kiss me briefly. She wrapped one leg over mine.

"Then... do what you want... with me. This might be... your last chance in a... really long time," she said. I stroked her long, blond hair, noticing that there were no split ends. She really does take pride in her hair.

"I want to, believe me, but I won't. I'm going to respect your conservative decision. Besides, the herbs are also meant to drastically reduce your inhibition. It provides you a drunken mentality without the hangover when you wake up. You're saying these things when in your right mind, you would never," I said to her. "You're my girlfriend and I love you. I will never take advantage of you."

"You really... mean that... don't you?" came her soft voice again. I nodded. Ino trailed her fingers against my warm neck. I took her hand into mine, squeezing it gently. Ino's eyes started fluttering, trying to remain open. I can tell she's trying to stay awake but the herbs I put in that tea are much too potent for the human body's resistance, especially those of this era. It would put an elephant down in about fifteen minutes. Ino's lasted two minutes. That's a healthy, human body's limit with this herb. "Gosh, I love you... so much. I can't... resist the effects... of the herbs anymore. Please... be here... in the morning... Naru...to-kun."

"Yeah, you bet," I said as I stood up and removed my sweater, gently covering it over her body. I returned to my clones and helped them to finish repairing the front door.

It took a few hours, but we managed to do it. I'm no carpenter, that's for sure and neither are my clones, but we did a pretty good job restoring it to the way it was before I smashed it to tiny splinters. I dismissed my clones and returned the tools and remaining materials back to my house, via Ino's car. I went back to her place to find her still fast asleep where I left her. I scooped her body up and brought her to her room, laid her down on her bed and tucked her in. I was going to hop inside as well but remembered I had to release the sound barrier jutsu from the house.

I did just that and sealed the pieces of parchment into a scroll. When that was finished, I rummaged my back pack for the three-pronged kunai and sealed it inside a scroll that I placed inside Ino's back pack. It's a very slender scroll, the size of a pencil. I wrapped another sealing jutsu over it so Ino can never find it. Even though the kunai is sealed inside an invisible scroll, my Hiraishin no Jutsu will still be able to locate it and teleport me to its location. My jutsu goes beyond the boundaries of human senses.

I can feel my chakra reserves almost empty, a sign that it's nearing the time for me to get some sleep. It's 4:06am. Today is Friday, I'm glad. Just need to put up with half a day of school so I can enjoy a weekend to myself, or with Ino, whichever brightens my mood the most. When preparations were complete, I tucked myself in bed. Ino pulled me to her chest instinctively. She does this very often when we sleep together, so her body probably does it instinctively. Her sweet fragrance made its way to my nostrils; a vanilla scent.

An inch of regret came over me, going against the thought of taking advantage of her. The herbs and the position we're in makes it so easy and she won't even remember a thing, especially because she's already asleep. She gave me permission but like I said earlier, she isn't thinking in her own right mind. I've gotta admit though, I've always wanted to have sex with a sleeping girl. It's one of the things on my bucket list. I can fulfill that right now but I said I wouldn't. Maybe when she isn't so high on herbs, and maybe when I'm not so tired.

* * *

I woke up before my girlfriend did, about three and a half hours later. As a shinobi, I'm used to short periods of sleep. I had to get used to it during missions when we would camp out for the night. Although there would always be one squad member keeping watch, in case of ambush, the body must always be ready at a moment's notice. I got up slowly, stood up from bed, and formed a hand seal.

"Ninpo: Hiraishin no Jutsu," I whispered, teleporting back to my house in a flash of yellow light.

I wonder if I'll ever earn my father's title of Yellow Flash. I have his blond hair and his mastery over this jutsu. It doesn't matter though. There is no need for such titles when living in a peaceful era. I keep telling myself that the reign of shinobi is over. I sighed to myself and got a set of school uniform before teleporting back to Ino's place. Her back pack was downstairs, in the living room, beside the couch she fell asleep on. I was about to climb up the stairs when the restroom door behind me opened. I turned to face Ino's father.

"Hm? Uzumaki-kun? Did you just get here? I didn't hear you come through the door," he said, stepping out of the restroom. He wasn't here last night, probably just arrived. Ino did say he'd swing by at around seven. It's 7:40am now. "Come to think of it, did Ino ever give you a spare key?"

"Um... no. I used her key. I came over last night to get some studying done and found that I had fallen asleep on the couch to the side," I said, setting my school uniform on the couch. The long haired blond nodded. "I went home to pick up my school uniform and just came back to wake Ino-chan for school when you found me."

"I see, I see," he said with a smile. "You're very different from normal high school boys, Uzumaki-kun. For a second there, I was expecting you to say you slept with my daughter. But I can see now that I was wrong. It's good you that you have enough respect for her to sleep down here, although you could have taken my bed. Sleeping on a couch sounds uncomfortable."

I returned the smile ten-fold. If only he knew...

"I'll wake Ino. Can you please prepare breakfast? I hate to ask you but I have no skill in cooking. I've just returned from the airport, from America. I take it my daughter has told you about her 18th birthday?" he asked, making his way to the stairs.

"Yes, you can say that," I replied, not wanting to disclose the full details. It's embarassing that I almost didn't figure it out. Who would have thought my girlfriend could be so cunning? I'm almost inclined to believe that she inherited some of that from the Ino of my era. I set my uniform on the couch and proceeded to the kitchen to make some fried rice. It doesn't take too long and Ino has the proper ingredients to make a full batch.

Said teen came down from her room as soon as her father woke her. She still looked very sleepy, but I don't mind. I adore every look she's got; happy, sad, sleepy, cute, sexy, seductive, bashful, all of it. I guess it comes with my love for her. The blond bombshell wrapped her slender arms around my waist. She was still in her pajamas. Ino pressed her cheek on my neck, snuggling as closely as she could. She's still warm from being under her comforters the whole night.

"Morning," I greeted, receiving a grumble in return.

"Mmm... that smells good. What are you making?"

"Fried rice. Want some? We've got a bit of time before school starts."

"School holiday," she replied. I rolled my eyes but held in a sigh. At least I didn't consume any gas, opting for chakra usage instead. "You would have known if you didn't leave school so early yesterday."

"I might have if... never mind," I said. Ino was quiet for a moment and hugged me tighter.

"I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, I really did. When I saw you at recess, I recognized that look you gave to me. You were angry but you were doing your best to hold it in. If it was my decision, I would have told you immediately," she said, sounding hurt. I let out a very soft sigh. I almost blew it yesterday. When I told her I didn't want to go, I meant I didn't want to leave school so early, not refusing to attend her debut as her escort. I would have jumped at the opportunity. It's times like these when I curse my intellect. At least things worked out in the end.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Things worked out, right?"

"Yes, but I ended up hurting you in the process.

"I guess, but try not to think about it too much. You're turning 18, remember? You should be happy," I said as I added some more ingredients to the frying pot. "I remember when I turned 18. I wasn't very happy, mainly because my friends all died for me and my village was in ruins. Don't be sad. I'll make sure everything turns out alright for you."

"Thanks. I'm going to freshen up. Come upstairs when you finish here," she said, planting a brief kiss on left side of my neck before making her way to her room. Her father entered the kitchen a minute later. He was dressed in his bathrobe, his hair slightly damp after his shower.

"Mmm! That smells delightful!" he complimented. I turned off the fire when the contents of the pot was cooked. "Ah, is it ready?"

"Yes. Dig in. I made a lot so eat as much as you can," I said as I grabbed myself a bowl and a pair of chopsticks before serving myself. I made sure to put a little more for Ino. I wonder if she even ate last night? I usually do all the cooking and there doesn't seem to be any cooked food in this house. Arriving upstairs, I heard the shower water in Ino's bathroom running. The door was opened slightly for me. I entered and closed the door completely.

"Naruto-kun?"

"No, it's your father, young lady," I mocked with a slightly deeper voice so as to match Inoichi's, and leaned against the sink. Ino stuck her head out of the curtains and smacked her lips together when she saw me holding back a laugh. She stepped out of the shower, dripping and completely naked. Utilizing the few moments I spent gawking at her complexion, Ino grabbed my bowl and chopsticks, taking it with her to the shower.

"Hey!" I shrieked. My girlfriend chuckled. About thirty seconds later, her hand stuck out with a half-empty food bowl. The chopsticks were neatly placed at the corner. I took the food bowl and stared at it for about five seconds. This is a medium sized bowl, the size of two hands and about four and a half inches deep. "You just ate a bowl's worth of food in thirty seconds... Did you even eat last night?"

"Nope!" she chuckled in the shower. "You haven't given me a spare key to your house yet, like you said you would three weeks ago. I had lunch at school but no dinner at home. I would have eaten everything in that bowl but I felt bad for you."

"If you were so hungry, why didn't you ask me to cook when I woke you at midnight?" I asked, proceeding with my half-eaten breakfast.

"Sorry. I was so mad at what you did to my front door that I forgot I was hungry. By the way, hurry up and get in. I don't want to waste too much water," she said. Heehee- shower with my girlfriend. I'm such a lucky guy.

I scarfed the rest of the food inside the bowl, stripped, and hopped inside the shower. A girlfriend who wants to get intimate inside a shower is always a good sign.

The steamy water instantly relaxed my body. Ino reached up and flicked a grain of rice that remained on my lips and giggled. About five minutes later, I was about to step out when I remembered I don't have any spare clothes with me. I stuck my hands out of the curtain and formed a hand seal.

"Ninpo: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," I called out, molding chakra to create a carbon copy of myself. However, because I was naked when I performed the jutsu, so was my clone. He instantly covered himself and stepped into the shower. Ino's face turned red at the sight of two boyfriends in the same shower with her.

"Hey, what are you doing in here!" I shouted at my clone.

"I have no clothes! I panicked! What the hell's up with you, making clones while you're naked? The shadow clone you conjure takes your direct appearance upon forming the jutsu. If you're naked, then so am I!" he shouted back, looking to Ino with a grin, my grin. "Oh, hey Ino-chan. Looking lovely as always."

"Thanks..." she replied bashfully and turned around.

"Ore? I may be a clone but I'm also your boyfriend," he said, tilting his head in confusion.

"Yes, that's very true but... I'm sorry! This is really embarassing! I only expected one Naruto-kun to be here!" she gasped, covering her private parts with her arms. I moved the curtain to the side and kicked him out before closing it again.

"I conjured you so you can rush back home and fetch us some new clothes. Come back with the motorcycle," I instructed him. The clone groaned, rubbed his head, and stood up.

"Are you kidding me? I, and the other yous, just fixed Ino-chan's door last night without any carpenting skills. The least you can do is cut me some slack," he said. I nodded slowly in understanding. That part actually slipped my mind. The clone reentered the shower and kicked me out. "I'll stay here with Ino-chan while you get some clothes."

I stood up quickly.

"You better not try anything funny!" I said. The clone popped his head out of the curtains.

"I'm you, moron. I wouldn't do anything you wouldn't," he said. "Besides, this is our Ino-chan we're talking about."

"Please hurry, Naruto-kun," said Ino. The clone wrapped his arms around her waist. "Wait, not you, Clone-kun! I know you're the same as my boyfriend but... no, it's not the same! This is just so weird!"

"I swear, Clone! When you go poof, I'll know everything you did. I'll conjure you and beat the living crap out of you if you take advantage of Ino-chan in any way," I said, putting my clothes back on.

"Bah, have some faith in yourself, will you?" he asked. I ignored that and teleported to my room.

I don't believe this, double crossed by my own clone... by myself! But he did prove a point. My shadow clones worked hard for me last night. I should have given that a bit more thought before conjuring him. I grabbed a black t-shirt, a pair of baggy black jeans, and some under garments. My red hoodie is still probably on Ino's bed so I can reuse that today. I was about to leave when I stumbled on my third three-pronged kunai. I only use two of these kunai on a daily basis, so the third is usually hanging around, doing nothing. One is at home. The second is inside Ino's back pack.

I suppose it would be a good idea to keep that with me, in case I'll ever need it. I pulled out a sealing scroll from my drawer and sealed the kunai, along with a full pack of shinobi accessories.

I also figured I'd seal my ANBU outfit and black coat in there. I don't like playing superhero but if I have to, I don't want my identity revealed. Although these are times of peace, if my shinobi training ever taught me anything it's that one can never be too careful. I rolled up the scroll and stuffed it in my pocket. I realize that traveling twenty-something miles per hour on a motorcycle while carrying a set of clothes would be difficult. I grabbed another sealing scroll from my drawer and sealed the clothes in it.

With both scrolls in my pocket, I took the keys to my motorcycle and rode back to Ino's house. About thirty minutes later, I arrived at her driveway and parked my motorcycle beside her car. The clone vanished twenty minutes ago and I received no memory from him that compromised my girlfriend's safety. Maybe he's right. Maybe I should have more faith in myself. I can sure use it. Realizing I didn't take Ino's house keys with me, I rang the door bell. Ino's father opened it. He was holding a food bowl with some fried rice still in it.

"Huh? I thought you were upstairs," he said as he allowed me inside the house.

"I took a bus back home when I remembered I forgot to pack a set of extra clothes. My school uniform won't do as Ino informed me that there is no school today," I said to him.

"I see. Well, there is some of your fried rice left," he said as he handed me Ino's back pack. The blond adult walked over to his couch, sat down, and turned the television on via a remote control. "Be a sport and give that back to Ino, will you? I've been working for a long time and I could use a little break but I don't think I'll be getting that. My daughter's court will be on their way here in a few minutes. I'll explain everything when everyone is here. You should get ready too."

"I understand," I said as I marched upstairs to Ino's room.

Ino had just finished putting her clothes on; a nolita denim skirt, black leggings with brown soft leather boots that reached a couple of inches below her kneecap. Above was a white blouse, a blue denim jacket on top and a red tie on her collar. She wore her hair on a low ponytail. I pulled out my scroll and summoned my clothes to my body with a jutsu. My new clothes instantly replaced my old ones. The old ones were sealed into the scroll. I pulled out the scroll that held my shinobi stuff and transferred it on my back jean pocket.

"Nice," Ino complimented and sat down on her bed. I sat beside and leaned on her shoulder. Ino ruffled my spiky hair. "I heard what my father said downstairs. I had no idea he called my entire court over. I guess he's proceeding with his plan sooner than I thought."

"Care to fill me in?" I asked. Ino leaned on the headrest of her bed and pulled me to her chest. She opened her legs to allow me better access. It had just occured to me how strange it felt, thinking about that last thought. Whenever we got to this position, our spots are normally the opposite. I rested my hands on her knees.

"Well, my mother is coming over to teach all of us a few dance moves for the celebration. She's a formal dance instructor in America and is living pretty well there," she said. My body tensed. Dancing is one of my greatest weak spots. "Relax, Naruto-kun. My mother is a little snappy but she gets the job done. You're going to have to do your best to stay on her good side, though. Unlike most families where the father is protective over the daughter, my mother is protective over me."

"Oh. Didn't you say your parents are divorced?"

"Yes but she's still my mother. I haven't seen her since she moved out, about four years ago. The others have already met her at least one time or another. I've told her great things about you, minus your being older than her grand parents," she said. Yup. No parent would want to know that about their daughter's boyfriend "Oh and speaking of which, she's bringing my grand parents over, along with my aunt and uncle from her side of the family. My uncle from my father's side will be here soon as well."

"Sounds like a large tree with many branches."

"Yeah. They're all over the place, especially-" she paused as we heard the front door open and close. I guess someone has arrived already.

"Hey, Inoichi-san! How's my favorite brother in law doing, hm?" said a voice downstairs.

"No way..." we both said simultaneously as Ino got off of bed and ran down to the living room.

I know that voice and haven't heard it in a little over 500 years. Plus, there's only one guy I know in the history of the shinobi era who constantly says 'hm' at the end of his sentences. I'm almost afraid to see him. I might rip his face off but I have to keep in mind that this isn't the same man as his past life was. If he called Inoichi his brother in law, then he must be-

"Naruto-kun! Come down and meet my otooji-san!" Ino called from below.

Crap... so soon, but I have no choice. I slowly made my way down the stairs while trying to keep my body steady. The moment I looked into his single blue eye, the other covered by a black eye patch, high blond ponytail, and demonic smile, my fist clenched. His bangs even covered the same side of his face. Ino took my hand and pulled me closer to one of the men who caused me a lot of trouble during the era of the shinobi. He wore a white polo, black jeans, and blue sneakers.

"Naruto-kun, this is-"

"Deidara..." I finished for her. The former Akatsuki member cocked up an eyebrow.

"Do I know you, hm?" he asked. Ino held onto my arm.

I did my best to hide my snarl for this man. Calm down, Naruto. He's not the same man as the one from the Akatsuki. It's the same feeling I had upon meeting the Sasuke of this era, but deeper in hatred.

Deidara was the one who attacked the hidden sand village and kidnapped the Kazekage, one of my friends. I reeled back a fist, aimed at his face and swung forward. In a split second, I changed my action. I must not allow my rage to overcome me. I'm in the presence of my girlfriend, her father, and her uncle. Deidara closed his eyes as my fist neared his face. Before it could connect, I swerved my fist to the side, embracing him instead of knocking him down.

"Otooji-san! You're the famous clay artist. It's an honor to meet you!" I said, guessing his profession as I pulled away from him. The blond man sighed.

"Whoa. For a second there, I thought you were about to slug me. Hm. It's nice to meet someone who takes a fancy in my work. Your name is Uzumaki Naruto, hm? My neice told me a lot about you, hm," he said, shaking my hand. Ino sighed and grabbed my hand.

"Uncle, I need to take Naruto-kun for a moment. Please make yourself at home," she said. Deidara smiled as Ino took me to the kitchen and closed the door. I walked over to the countertop and leaned my hands against it. Ino crossed her arms over her chest. "I saw that. You were about to knock him out. What's wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry. I just recognized his face as one of the shinobi from my time. That's how I was able to guess his profession in this life. He was a dangerous criminal who utilized clay to conjure powerful explosives that can blow up structures and quite possibly entire villages," I said, trying to calm myself down. Ino approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder, turning me to face her.

"Naruto-kun, I know these memories are painful for you but you have to let go. That was five centuries ago, a very long time! Let it go, please," she begged. I looked away, unable to gaze into the eyes of the girl whose uncle I almost punched. Ino cupped my cheek and faced me to her. "Don't look away from me. He may have caused you a headache in the past but he's not the same person here. He's my uncle and I love him. He may have been a capable ninja back then but he doesn't know any form of martial arts in this era. He's just a clay artist, that's it."

"I'm sorry," I said as Ino backed away.

"Gosh. I wonder if you're going to be like this with the rest of my family. Chances are, they're people you've met in your time. I've said it once and I'll say it again, they're not the same as they were back then," she said.

"I know. It's just hard seeing them all so soon, especially the ones I didn't like," I said. Ino placed her hands on her hips.

"Right. Please control yourself, Naruto-kun. I told my relatives good things about you. Don't make me sound like a liar. You're not a violent person anymore. You gave all that up when you decided to live the rest of your life in peace. Please, Naruto-kun, for me. Don't give in to your anger," she said as she took hold of my hand. "We're going to return to the living room. Just stay with me, okay?"

"Yeah," came my simple reply.

It's not like I could say anything else. I know it's been so long but what if I can't control myself and end up slugging another Akatsuki member that comes through the front door? Please, anyone but Pein. Ino opened the kitchen door to reveal Inoichi, Deidara, and another guest, a woman with medium-length, layered style, black hair. She wore a black blouse and a pair of slim jeans. The three were chatting about business until they saw us. Deidara smiled to me again. I returned it for a moment but kept my focus on the black-haired woman. I walked up and bowed to her. At least she's not an Akatsuki member.

"Ohayo. You must be Shizune-san. I'm Uzumaki Naruto," I said. Ino glanced to me and raised an eyebrow for a second before recomposing herself. The former medical ninja took my hand and shook it. "Ino-chan has told me a lot about you. You're a nurse, right?"

"Yes, that's right Uzumaki-kun. She must have also told you that I have long-time relations with your school principal, Tsunade-sensei. She's the one who taught me everything I know. I hear she's taken a new pupil. I'd like to meet her some day," she said. I nodded. So she hasn't met Sakura yet. I wonder if everyone back then is exactly the same as they are here... Deidara and Shizune are about the same. The woman's fingers entwined with the blond artist. My jaw was ready to drop but I held myself. "I'm sure you've already met my husband, Deidara-san."

I looked to him, who was still smiling.

"Great. Yeah. We've had the pleasure," I said.

The Shizune of my time is probably rolling in her grave right now. The thought of being married to an Akatsuki member must be frightening. But these two look so much in love. Ino is right. They're not the same as they were and I've got to stop believing otherwise. Here, Deidara is a simple artist who cares nothing for causing death and destruction with clay bombs. If he's married to Shizune, she must be keeping him on a leash. She's no pushover, except maybe to Tsunade.

"Otooji-san, oba-san, why are you two here so early?" asked Ino. That's a very good question. I was expecting to meet her mother already. "Did you guys come to Japan with my mother?"

"Yes," said Deidara. "She told us to head over here and wait for her, hm. Your mother split up with us to pick up your grand parents. You know how those old crones get when preparing to go somewhere. They just love staying all cooped up in their home. I wonder if they even realize their grand daughter's 18th birthday is coming... hm."

"Sounds just like them, but it would be nice to see them again," said Ino.

I wonder who her grand parents are? I have two people in mind who they could be but the ones in mind don't fit Deidara's description. The ones I'm thinking of are quite snappy. They never had kids, never really married, but I could tell they had a thing for each other. They're also two people who didn't like me very much, despising the fact that a jinchuriki was housed in their village. They're the Third Hokage's former teammates... and I forgot their names. Deidara placed his other hand atop Shizune's.

"Well then, I better start with the grilling. We're going to have a lot of visitors here, hm?" he asked.

Inoichi stood from his couch and led the other blond to the back yard where the grill was. I don't know if Deidara has any talent in cooking but I'd sure like to have someone else doing the cooking around here. Ino and her father are hopeless at it. Shizune followed the two men out of the living room, to the back yard. Ino sat an the couch and motioned for me to do the same.

"I'm willing to bet that you know the professions of all my family members. I don't remember telling you an inch about my aunt or my uncle," said Ino.

That phrase made me cringe. If that's so, then every single one of them must be people I've met in the past, which isn't really coming to so much of a shock anymore. I've met almost everyone else. There's a few people I'm hoping I don't come across, Pein being one of them. But if I do, I have to maintain control for Ino's sake.

"Heh. I'm starting to think so too," I replied. "Ino-chan, what's your mother like? And why did she divorce from your father?"

"Like I said, she's strict and snappy but a good woman. Why she divorced him, well, he broke an important promise," she said, leaning back on the couch. "She has this issue with any sort of police agency. According to my father, before she said yes to his marriage proposal, she made him promise to never work for a police force, any police force. However, she found out four years ago about my father's other job. He's an-"

"Interrogation specialist working for the police force as an investigator or detective," I finished. Ino nodded, no longer finding it a surprise that I knew so much about her family. I figured someone like him couldn't possibly stuck with mere business work. "I see nothing wrong with that. The police here are about the same as the shinobi. All they do is regulate and enforce order. Without them, our village and maybe even this modern era would be in a riot with all sorts of criminals and law breakers."

Ino shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know the full details about it, but once she found out, she divorced and left him. Of course, he tried to resolve things but the only way she'd return to him is if he dropped his job as an officer, but he can't. The interrogation specialist is a talent that courses through the bloodline of every person in the Yamanaka family line, typically anyone with blond hair like my father and I," she said. Blond hair? What's that got to do with anything? "I have an uncle from my father's side. He's not blond like we are and doesn't possess any interrogation talents. He's more of a holy man, a priest actually."

"I understand," I said, hoping to all of creation that she didn't just mention the religious whackjob of a shinobi known as... as... what was his name again? All I remember from reading his files was that he's immortal and he had a sharp tongue for cursing. "So every blond in your family line has had that talent. It pretty much became a family business, working as an interrogation specialist, and your father can't give up something as important as that."

"Yeah. That's exactly it. He wants me to take over for him when I'm older. I suppose I can but I want to do something else with my life. I want to... actually, I want you to finish my sentence. What do you think I want to be?" she asked, scooting closer to me. As if I'd need much brain power to think of an answer for this.

"Easy; you want to be a nurse like Shizune-san," I replied. Ino smiled and kissed me on the cheek. "And let me guess, you're working alongside Sakura-chan, under Tsunade-sama? Oh and Sakura-chan was on it first but you saw how cool it was to treat patients so you wanted to do it too."

"On the dot. My father doesn't know yet. I'll tell him when I'm ready," she said, leaning against my shoulder. I wrapped an arm across her back, to her elbow, pulling her to me. "You know so much about me, Naruto-kun, but now that I think about it, you haven't told me much about yourself. What do you want to be after high school? Going to attend a university?"

"Eh... I've graduated from ten universities already. The ninth and tenth ones were done because I was bored and the ones before, minus the first, were done on a whim," I said to her, recalling past memories about what I've done during the previous centuries. "I'll be honest, I was in the United States military before enrolling to Kono High School. Come to think of it, the Civil War and World War I were both pretty fun. It's World War II that was absolutely bogus. Hitler and the rest of Germany were full of balogne."

"So does that mean you fought against the Japanese during the bombing of Pearl Harbor? What about the atomic bombing of Nagasaki?" asked Ino. Well, how about that? Who ever thought Ino had any interest in history? I placed a finger on my chin, recalling all those past events.

"Hm... I don't remember much about Pearl Harbor. But regarding the bombing of Nagasaki, I was one of the people against the American President, Woodrow Wilson, in his decision to release that monstrosity. Many Japanese died that day. It was one of the reasons that forced me to leave the American Military, among others of course," I said, remembering the mission Richard and I went to. When he was killed, saving my life, I left the military. But that's our secret.

"Alright then. So you'll be returning to the military after high school," she said. I nodded as she looked to me. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid. I know you've fought and lived through significant wars, but you're still only human. You'll always come back to me, right?"

I looked to her in turn.

"Of course. And the military is only one option. Ever since the first day I've seen a detective at work, I've always wanted to be one. It's less hazardous, to be sure. Would you be okay with that?" I asked. Ino graciously nodded and hugged me. I feel like we're already a married couple. It's a sweet feeling.

There's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than Ino. She's everything I could ever want. Maybe someday when she's older, I'll pop the question. But for now, she's still young, probably not ready to settle down yet. I've been ready for hundreds of years but just never found the right person. Now I have, but I'll have to wait for her a little longer. Next to a few centuries, what's another few years?

"Who knows, maybe you can take over my father's work? I can teach you a few things about interrogation, but I have a condition. Will you teach me how to cook? I feel bad asking you to make meals for me all the time," she requested.

Actually, that's not a bad idea. I could use some help when I'm cooking something. I've always had to cook for myself, minus my childhood and teen years when I'd frequently visit the Ichiraku Ramen stand. I've taught Ino how to make soldier pills and she's gotten quite good, just needs to work on the taste. In addition, she could cook for herself and her father when I'm not around, which hopefully won't be too often.

"It's a deal. I'll teach you how to cook. It's going to be very tough though. I don't really have an instruction manual. I learned to cook without such help," I said, kissing her on the cheek. It was then that the door bell was rung. Another visitor I guess. Ino stood up to greet our guest, or rather, guests. It was Shikamaru and Temari.

"It looks like we're early. I didn't see anyone else' cars parked out back," said Temari. Shikamaru grunted and walked inside with his hands buried under his jean pockets.

"Lousy woman. I told you no one would be here yet, but you insisted we'd be late," said the lazy pineapple head, looking to me. "Well, at least Uzumaki is here."

My future with Ino can wait. For now, I'm only eighteen.

* * *

_(A/N)_

_Sorry about this, guys. I know there's not much going on in this chapter, especially since I haven't updated in so long. The meat of the story actually starts on the next chapter and beyond._

_Good news is, I've tied up some loose ends so I can actually start some writing again. Another good news is, I jotted down the plot and everything on notepad and had the notion to save it instead of trying to remember it. The plot of this story will be the same as I originally planned. It took a while for me to readjust to the story's needs but I think I've got it now. Not writing for a while can really get to someone, right?_


	3. Chapter 3

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto**

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**Chapter 3: Proposition**

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"No! Your pivots are all wrong and you're not synchronized with the song. Once more, Shikamaru!"

"You're too stiff, Lee! Relax a bit and try it again!"

"Sakura, what's the problem with you? Straighten your body and don't slouch!"

"Gaara, same as Lee! Relax, unwind, and start over!"

"No, no, no! Hinata, put some feeling into your spins. Let Kiba lead you, not the other way around!"

...

...

"Uzumaki-kun, get over here this instant!" I gulped as my name was called by Ino's mother, Azumichi Kana, our formal dance coordinator for her debut. She's a distant relative of the Akimichis, but their increased-mass family trait managed to miss her.

After Shikamaru and Temari arrived, the others started pouring in one after the other. They were all clueless as to what would be going on today, told only to arrive at Ino's place at a designated time by her father. Neji figured it would regard Ino's birthday celebration, due to the number of people showing up, but would never have guessed our official dance lessons would be starting today. When everyone was comfortable in the living room, Ino's mother was introduced to us all- arriving just a minute after the last couple, Hinata and Kiba.

I found it odd that even Gaara quivered at the sight of the blond woman. I thought nothing gets to him. Since the rest of them were frozen as if dying passengers of the sinking Titanic, I took it upon myself to be the first to greet her. I extended a hand forward, eying her stern face. Come to think of it I've never met Ino's mother in the past, only her father. The woman took my hand but instead of following the handshake I started, she forcefully tugged at my arm.

Shinobi reflexes kicking in, I broke my fall by taking a step forward, spun around her left shoulder, and then to her back. Our hands were still locked, on her left waist, and our backs were against each other. The woman complimented my last minute action and introduced herself. I had no idea she was just testing me but I'm glad I passed. Since then, our dance routine had engaged. She had been as strict as Ino said. I thought I would be prepared but the shock all over my spine hadn't yet ceased. This woman was truly something.

"Uzumaki!" she called once more.

"Y-Yes, ma'am," I said, leaving Ino's side to join with her mother. The woman latched my hands to her waist and stomach, right and left hands respectively. Her back was to my chest and her left cheek bone was against my lips; a romantic starting position for the waltz. In a quick motion, she spun out of the hold and took my hand into hers almost immediately, her free hand stretched out the opposite direction.

After my old benefactor died and all of his belongings were left to me, his entire collection of ballroom dancing songs and videos were all that reminded me of his taste in music. I listened to them occasionally and watched a few of the videos from time to time, trying to appreciate what he saw in them that I didn't. I didn't physically learn any of the steps but I had a basic foundation edged onto my brain. Using this foundation, I was able to follow with the blond woman's footsteps and body movements.

She squeezed my hand, a signal to pull her to me and so I did.

She then let go, gracefully spun to the right while stepping forward, and threw both arms around my neck. I remember this move from one of the old man's waltzing videos. My hands came down her waist, then up her shoulders, my lips against the right side of her neck. The woman narrowed her eyes at mine as I pushed her off while supporting her back, allowing her to bend backward with her arms in the air, parallel. She then pulled herself back up, her hands rested on my shoulders with her right cheek against my left.

"Where did you learn to do that?" she whispered quickly and softly. "Inoichi said you didn't know any ballroom dancing."

"I've never done them physically, but I've watched a few videos," I replied.

"So you improvised, hm?" She said, leaving the conversation at that and turned to our audience. "That is what I want to see from all of you. Keep in mind the grace and fluidity of your movements, especially the girls. Allow your partners to lead you."

I returned to Ino as we continued to practice our own piece. The debutant and her escort are included in the formal ballroom dance routines but have their own separate, special parts to play. This is centered around the debutante after all.

"What was that?" she asked. I had no response to give. "Did you see where your hands were? It looked like you were putting the moves on my mother."

"Oh, no, no," I said in my defense. "Waltzing includes a lot of what you just saw. The male's hands will be all over the female's body. I wasn't hitting on her. That's just how waltzing is."

"Is that so?" she said with a smirk, our footsteps trying to synchronize with the song played on a radio on a nearby table. "That sounds kind of sexy, Naruto-kun."

"Aren't you glad I'm your escort, then?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said as our position came to a sudden halt, our lips a mere inch apart. I looked at her pink lips, every cell in my body screaming to just kiss her. When I moved to do so, she placed a finger between my lips. "Not here, Naruto-kun."

"Really? Just one."

"I said no," she firmly held her ground with an endearing smile. "I'm not going to kiss you while my mother is here."

"Aww... but she knows we're together."

"Yes, but that doesn't change my answer," she said as we resumed our dance. "Later, Naruto-kun. When we're done for the day."

"Foine..." I said playfully.

After another half hour of dance practice, Inoichi called us in for lunch. He, Shizune, and Deidara, had brandished a few recipes they'd learned while out of the country. Lunch consisted of many dishes besides traditional Japanese cuisine. A few of us dined in the living room, some were at the backyard, and others were in the kitchen. The court was spread out pretty evenly, some of whom were conversing with more of Ino's family members who had arrived during our dance practice.

As we ate, there was a knock on the front door. Temari stood to open it, greeting another supposed member of the family, two of them in fact. One had sleek, silver hair combed back and wore a trench coat. The other had a black fern-like hairstyle and wore casual clothing; a black vest, brown trousers, and a white undershirt. He had an eye patch over his left eye. Seeing this man almost caused me to gag on my food. Our eyes met; his calm and mine frozen. Inoichi walked in from the backyard to greet the guests.

"Well, well, what have we here!" the man rejoiced. "You guys never come to these family gatherings."

"Praise to our lord almighty!" said the man with silver hair, his arms outstretched in the air. "Let his light shine on my precious, soon-to-be, lady Yamanaka!"

"Uncle!" Ino shouted happily, running up to the holy man and embraced him.

Sleek, silver hair, loud-mouth, and religious whack-job… he can't possibly be the immortal Jashin-killer guy, a member of the Akatsuki, the one responsible for Asuma's death, right? I remember reading a report that due to his immortality, he had to be trapped under several meters of soil in order to be defeated. His head and body had been separated but there was no report of his actual death. That being, I wonder if he's the same guy and not reincarnated.

"Look at you! You've gotten so big!" he asked, lifting her up by the waist then brought her back down. Kiba chuckled at the pun. Hinata slapped him across the head, though hid her blushing face from the others. "Oh how the lord's light has graced your features. How is my little girl?"

"Just fine, uncle," she giggled. "You've met my friends before but there's someone else I'd like you to meet."

Ino pulled the man to me.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto, the escort for my debut," she said. I stood up and bowed to him. Ino latched onto my arm with a smile on her face. "Oh and, he's also my boyfriend."

"Uzumaki... Uzumaki..." the tall man mumbled, ruffling his sleek hair. A few moments later, a clenched hand met with a palm. "I remember now. My friend here would like a word with you."

It was then that the man with the eye patch stepped forward, taking a bow to me.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Inoichi-san has told me about you," he said, extending his hand to greet me. I shook it. Inoichi walked over to us.

"Uzumaki-san, this is Madara and Hidan," he said, his arms on their shoulders. "They're my cousins but we're practically brothers."

His… cousins? I didn't see that one coming.

"Yes, I see," was all I could say as I turned to Ino. "Well, I better get acquainted with him. It would be rude of me to not get to know your family members right?"

"Okay. I'll wait for you, then," she said, giving me a peck to the cheek as she walked over to Sakura, Tenten, and Temari. I made my way outside with Hidan and Madara. Not a word was spoken amongst us, only enjoying moments of silence while refusing to make eye contact. As peaceful as this is, I need to know why he's here. I turned to him.

"Madara-"

"Come now, Naruto-kun, you heard what Inoichi said. We're family. I wish no harm," he said. I sighed and leaned against the front door. "I heard you were in town. I came for Ino's birthday but I'm also here to check up on you."

I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Cousins huh? How the heck did you manage that?"

"Simple genjutsu, nothing complicated," said the ancient sharingan user. "Though I found it odd that such a trick would work on a Yamanaka. You'd think otherwise, no?"

My eyes rolled on their own. This guy is as cunning and mischievous as ever.

"Hmph. Got tired of Atlantis already?" I asked him.

Even after the end of the shinobi, Madara crops up in front of me every now and then. His presence is a constant reminder that I don't belong in this time. After a few decades of fighting each other, we simply gave up and decided to leave the past grudges behind us. I eventually forgave him for what he's done. It's not in me to hold onto the past anyway.

"Are you kidding? They're a fascinating people. Unfortunately, they caught wind of my immortality and accused me of practicing sorcery. I fled because of it."

"Heh, you're slipping, old man. You couldn't have resorted to a simple transformation jutsu?" I asked, getting another good look at him. The light wrinkles on his face are obviously due to said jutsu. "Actually, I don't care for the reason. Whatever you got, you deserve it."

"Yes I suppose. Anyway, I did honestly come here to see you."

"Really now? Since when have you become my keeper?" I asked coldly, my hands in my pockets. I turned to Hidan for a moment, who was tapping his foot on the ground as if harmonizing with some horrid song in his mind, then back to Madara. "And what's his story? Is he still killing in the name of Jashin or is this his next life?"

"Hey now, I don't do that anymore," said the former killer. Anymore? Wonderful, he's the same guy. "I had a lot of time to think while buried under ground, courtesy of that Nara punk. After the shinobi were no more, Madara found me and dug me out. He reunited me with my body with the condition that I change my sadistic ways. It took some getting used to but I've been a pacifist since then. I travel the world, preaching multiple religions."

"You…? A pacifist?" I asked, choking on my own saliva. "Alright, people can change, but what's with the change in tone? Inside the house, you were like a happy-go-lucky child-priest. Now you're about the same as those old reports mentioned regarding your attitude."

Hidan crossed his arms and leaned against the door, looking to the sky.

"It's called blending in with the populace. I saw some hobo do it once and figured it would match my pacifism ways," he said. "Immortality kinda sucks, but it gave me some time to think about how to better myself in the modern society. I like preaching religion, almost as much as I liked killing back then. What about you, brat? Madara told me Kyuubi gave you his life force to help you beat Pain. How's eternal life treating you?"

"It's been a blast while it lasted but mine is gone, all used up. This is my last wing," I said.

"Lucky you. You get to join your loved ones, but I get stuck here with that nut job," he said, obviously referring to Madara. The latter man could only laugh. "That reminds me of another thing, he's not here to cuddle with you. He's got a serious proposition he'd like you to consider."

"Whatever it is, my answer is no."

"Just hear me out, please; five centuries changes people. I'm not who I used to be back then. The end of the shinobi era forced me to think about what I've done. With my immortality, it's really the only productive thing I can do," he said.

I sneered at him.

"Do you know how many are dead because of you?" I asked, spite filling my voice.

"Yes, and maybe if you hear me out I can repent for all that I've done," he said. As much as I hate this guy, he really sounds like he's seen his mistakes. Who am I to deny someone redemption? I groaned somewhat loudly, sensing a headache coming.

"Make it quick," I said. Madara smiled genuinely.

"During my stay in Atlantis, I came across their library. It was chock-full of interesting information and I probably would have lived there... but you know how that turned out," he said. I rolled my eyes. "They had a few books about time traveling."

Now that caught my attention.

"Madara, you can't seriously be thinking of-"

"I am and have been for several decades. After I fled Atlantis, I traveled the rest of the world in search of more information regarding time traveling. Each tome I encountered said it was possible, but it will require an ample amount of a specific form of power," he said, brandishing a small, leather-bound book from his pocket. There were Atlantean symbols in the front.

"Is that... oh no... you didn't..."

"I did and I know how to construct this time machine. With it, I can go back to the time I took my brother's eyes to become immortal. With me out of the picture, the timeline as we know it could be different. Without my influencing the Uchiha clan to war against the Senju clan, peace would have been the dominant force in our time," he said.

I took the book from him and flipped through the pages. Having spent hundreds of years on this Earth, I did some research on my own, research regarding the language and writings of the Atlanteans.

It took me decades to learn their tongue.

"It's all here, and it's so simple," I said as I looked to the black-haired man. "Madara, time flows in one direction, you know this. Time travel is against the laws of nature."

"Perhaps," he said, taking the tome from my hands. "But I want to correct my mistakes. Because of me, an entire civilization of people fell to ruin."

"Be that as it may, it allowed for this new world to make its debut. Our time is over and we have to accept it. We're relics of the past. Let's just live out the rest of our lives as one of them."

"Think about what you're saying, Naruto-kun. Konohagakure was in shambles, do you remember?" he asked. I looked away from the deranged immortal. How could I forget?

"Without me, Akatsuki would never have formed. Furthermore, I would not have released the Kyuubi and goaded it to attack Konoha. The Yondaime would not have given his life to seal the ultimate curse into his son. You would have lived a normal life, a normal childhood. Don't tell me the thought has never crossed your mind."

I could only watch and listen as he poured genuine regret from his heart. Madara fell silent for a moment, looking to the ground.

"I'm tired, Naruto. I thought being a god would be fun but it's not as hyped up as people say," he said.

"My thoughts exactly," Hidan added.

"Please, Naruto, help me build this machine and help me correct my mistakes," he said. I looked away once more.

"It sounds great and all, but I have a life here now. If I help you, if you undo what you've done in the past I could cease to exist. This whole time line would be different without you. I don't want to lose these people the way I lost them in the past. Your time machine can fix that but... it's just not the same," I said. "Besides, while I was scanning your book, I saw the requirement to power your machine's engine. You'll need the life force of thousands of people. I won't let you do that."

"That's why I've come to you, Naruto," he said. "Besides human life force, the only other thing that can fuel the machine is a rare form of energy that the bijus and jinchuriki held within them."

"I'm going to have to disappoint you, Madara. I don't have that kind of power anymore," I replied. "With the fox's spirit out of me, I don't have the kind of strength I once wielded. At best, I can conjure a small handful of clones and that already tires me out."

"Silly boy, you think I haven't thought of that?" he asked. I narrowed my eyes at him. "After the Kyuubi's spirit left you, it was reborn into the next life, a human. If we can find this person, I can extract the fox's spirit from him and transfer it into you. Kyuubi, as well as the other tailed beasts, is immortal as well. Its spirit cannot be destroyed, only molded to take a new shape."

"You're going to kill someone by extracting the fox's spirit?" I asked, venom seething from my voice. Madara was quiet. "Even if I would let you do that, why don't you just shove the fox into yourself? Why would you need me?"

"The Kyuubi's spirit will reject me. It will only bond with someone it has taken a liking into. If the Kyuubi gave you the remnants of its strength, perhaps it will accept you as a Jinchuriki again. Your body may not have the fox's spirit anymore, but some of its chakra has permanently fused with yours. That trail of demonic chakra is enough for the fox to identify you as a suitable host. It will feel right at home with you," he said.

Thinking about it, he does make some sense. Ever since the fox left me, I always felt it wasn't completely gone. Some of its chakra stuck with me.

"Still, extracting the fox from someone will kill that person. I won't let you do that."

"Think for a minute, brat," said Hidan. "If Madara can alter the past, this time line would cease to exist. The poor sap may not even be born. That's a whole lot better than dying. Plus, as he said, you get to live a normal shinobi life. You'll get to be with your friends, grow old, and die with them. You said it before, this isn't our time. Wouldn't it be better to live and die in the era you were born in? Take it from an immortal."

"I... I mean... it's not like I..." came my fumbling words. "This is a lot to take in. I won't deny that I've wanted to return to my time and live out the rest of my life with my friends, but I have a life here too now. In a sense, I'm with them all over again... but you're right Hidan. This isn't my era. I should have been dead years ago but I lived on."

"I don't expect an instant answer," said Madara. "Take as much time as you need to think about it. I'll search for the Kyuubi's reincarnation but I won't extract the fox until you give me your answer. But please, think about it very carefully."

"And while you're doing that, I think we're missing out on some lunch," said Hidan, his hand taking hold of the door knob. I moved away to make some room. "I may be immortal but I can still feel hunger."

"Please think about it, Naruto-kun. You know how to find me," he said as Hidan opened the door.

The three of us walked inside like nothing happened. Ino and the others were watching a horror movie in the darkened living room while the adults were in the kitchen. Madara and Hidan went to join them. I sat beside Ino, not at all paying attention to the film.

"Hey, you were out for a long time. What happened?"

"We took a walk, talked for a bit, got to know each other, and now here we are."

"I see. Do you recognize them as people from your time?"

"Yeah, but that's not important. They weren't anyone noteworthy," I lied to her.

I'll tell her everything about my past but Hidan and Madara, especially the proposition the latter gave me, will have to wait until I can give it some thought. I don't want her worrying until I have an answer that will calm her down. To erase an entire timeline would devastate anyone, especially those who may be removed from existence.

"But if they're important to you, then they're important to me," I said.

"Okay... so what did you talk about?"

"Just guy stuff."

"Aw... tell me please?"

"Forget it. You never give me the details with your girl talks with Sakura and the others," I countered.

Ino's cheeks went visibly red. Her naturally light skin tone did little to hide this. I often wondered why most Japanese young girls or women had such light skin. One may mistaken Ino for an American or German because of her blond hair, blue eyes, and light skin tone. I shivered at that thought. The Germans really were something in World War II... but I guess it's mainly because of their boss.

"Girl talk is private and embarrassing."

"Yes, and guy talk is for public knowledge. You'll get nothing from me, woman," I joked. Ino sighed and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer to her. She placed soft kisses on my neck. I moaned lightly. "Are you trying to seduce the information out of me?"

"Actually, yes I am."

"I'm sure I told you but I'm trained to be able to resist most forms of interrogation tactics," I admitted. "Aside from that, I thought you didn't want to do any of that stuff until later?"

"Yeah, well, I couldn't take it anymore. When you were about to kiss me, every bit of me wanted you to do it but it wouldn't look right in front of my mother. Now that she isn't here, I want your lips all over me," she said. I turned my head to face hers as our lips connected.

"Let's do this in your room."

"I'm not moving from this spot. The way you had your hands all over me during dance practice, it really turned me on," she said. "I'm not going to have sex with you, but we can do the next best thing."

I then stood up and carried her in my arms.

"Then I'll carry you. There's no way we're going to cuddle in front of everyone. I want you all to myself, Ino-chan."

"Even if we were to cuddle in public, my mind and attention would always be concentrated on you, so don't worry about that. I belong only to you," she said as I took us to her room, closed the door, and locked it. I laid her on her bed.

"What you said back there just turned me on. Are you sure we can't have sex? I have a rubber in my wallet," I said. Ino laid me down on the bed and undid my pants.

"No means no, Naruto-kun, but like I said, we can do the next best thing," she said as my boxers came off next. "You won't need a rubber for this. In fact, I prefer you not wear one."

Out from my underwear came my throbbing member. Ino poked it with glee.

"Hello there," she said playfully. "Naruto-kun won't tell me what he and my uncles talked about, so I'm going to have to torture you until he talks."

"Bring it, Ino-chan."

"Heh, be careful what you ask for, Naruto-kun. I'll get you to spill... in more ways than one," she said seductively.

That only turned me on even more. I don't think I could have had this kind of relationship with the girls in my time. I wonder if the Ino of way back when would have gotten together with me. Would we be this far into our relationship? Would I love her the same way I love this Ino? I want to see my friends again, but is it worth losing the ones I have here?

"Ready or not, here I come," she said. I decided to ponder about this later.

As if I could think straight with Ino pleasuring me.

* * *

_(A/N)_

_Sorry for the late update, guys. I meant to post this chapter last week but some things came up, mainly being a massive toothache I've been having recently. I went for a checkup and the dentist said I'm in dire need of a root canal. Yup, big cavity back there._

_The pain is unlike anything I've ever felt, and I'm not trying to be a dramatic wuss. I even wake up to this pain, in the middle of the night, and don't get much sleep because of it. It hurts to talk for an extended period of time, or with a heightened voice pitch. Hell, it even hurts to walk, yawn, and stand up from a laying or seated position. It's even gone to the point where the pain is affecting my ability to form story ideas because all I can think about is the pain. I tried to write this chapter as best as I could, given my condition._

_I'll be getting that root canal in a couple of days, but I heard the pain is intense after the surgery, after the aesthetics wear off. I'm not sure when I'll be posting the next chapter but I do intend to finish this story, that much I'm sure of._

_Again, I apologize for the minor set back._


	4. Chapter 4

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish**

**Naruto Fanfiction **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto **

**Chapter 4: His Plan, My Thoughts  
**

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**Whoa, I didn't think I'd be writing again... at least not so soon. I put this story on hiatus since the last update, for personal reasons. But after tons of emails from reviewers, telling me to continue it (over the past year), I figured, why the hell not?**

**Problem is, my writing isn't what it used to be. I wrote this chapter, a long time ago, near the time of my decision to put this story on a hold. I know I had a reason for not posting it, but I can't remember anymore. I'll try to finish this to the best of my current ability, however.  
**

**And no, as a response to some of you guys who have emailed me about this, I will not be handing this story to another writer. He or she can probably do a better job than I ever could, update more frequently, for starters, but it's just not going to happen. I'm selfish like that.  
**

**I still have my notes for this story jotted down. I figured I'd be too lazy to write at some point, so I recorded the plot line on a separate document.  
**

**Frankly, this is chapter isn't all that important right now - but it does see some use in the future. If you don't read this, I can understand; you won't be missing much. It's the next chapter that gets pretty heated up.  
**

**That's all I wanted to say, I think.  
**

* * *

Formal ballroom dancing practice ended at an agreed hour of 7pm, allowing for the rest of the court to return home. As per unanimous vote, every participant would arrive at Ino's house at 11am every Sunday to allow an ample amount of time for practice. After lunch, we immediately resumed practice until the hour arrived in which the court would depart. I was the last to remain, opting to clean some mess. It was an interesting experience, for the most part, but I regret to say that my mind wasn't at all where it should have been.

I couldn't stop thinking about Madara's offer; the chance to return to the good old days. Those were the days I knew, the time when my ninja title had the most meaning. I was born into a war-torn world but I didn't die in it as I wish I could have. Unfortunately, to return to that era would mean the disappearance of this one. According to the laws of time, as mentioned in Atlantean texts, time flows in one direction. If the past is changed even at the slightest margin, the present and future may be heavily affected.

As much as I want to see all of my friends again, the ones I grew up with, can I really sacrifice the ones I have here? Meeting them all in one location must have been nothing short of a twist of fate. What are the chances I'd be reunited with them under the rooftops of a school that got its name from the village I grew up in? For crying out loud, their principal is Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha. We even have our jounin senseis teaching, and each of them are in classes my friends and I take.

In all my years of living, I've learned not to question fate but the long strings of coincidences I've had here is just incredible. Everyone is the same as I remember, even down to the last speck of detail. Sakura is still Tsunade's medical apprentice, Shizune once learned under Tsunade, old man Sarutobi was the previous principal, Kakashi still reads his pornography and still has a sort of mask covering the lower half of his face, and Sai is as creepy as ever.

Everything is still pretty much the same. If I leave this age, returning to the one I'm more familiar with, not much will have really changed. I'd be living through my life a second time, knowing what to expect, but everything would be the same.

When a man reads a book for the first time, he won't know what to expect. Every chapter within the book will drag a certain level of mystery that may or may not appease the reader. If he reads the book a second time, it's not so exciting because he'll already know what to expect. Would that be the same if I travel back in time? I would know how things go, how to react to surprising events, and how to change the present if I wanted to. An unbelievable amount of power would be bestowed upon me... but with my time as Kyuubi's jailor...

Do I really want such a power?

Power can corrupt anyone, even those with the purest of hearts and intentions. It probably didn't have any effect on me, at the time, because I was too damn stupid to allow it to. With centuries of wisdom in my aged-old brain, I'm obviously not as retarded as I used to be. The desire to change whatever it is I please will be there. It s not just Madara's lacking presence changing history but also my desire to change what is destined to happen.

I scoffed at the thought.

"Tch, look at me. I sound like Neji before I whipped his ass at the chunin exam," I muttered to myself while washing some dishes. Neji, back then, accepted his fate and played his part according to what he thought his role was. I'm the one who made him change his ways... so why am I the one falling into that same abyss?

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Ino cooed, her arms slithering around my waist with her cheek pressed against my back. Yet another thing I don't want to let go of. I've got something good going here.

"Uh, nothing. I was just thinking about this old internet article I read up some time ago," I said to her. "If you could go back in time to change anything, knowing whatever you change would massively affect the present and the future, would you?"

"That's easy; I wouldn't," she said. "If I can go back in time, I would simply watch the events fly. If I changed anything and it negatively affects, for example, my relationship with you, I could never forgive myself. I don't ever want to be without you. It would tear me apart."

"H-Hey, getting all emotional are we?"

"Well, I just wanted to give you my most honest answer. Anything you say, ask, or confide in me, I will take it seriously," she admitted. "Anyway, you didn't have to stay behind and help me clean. We have school tomorrow and you need to get up early."

Some things just never change...

"And what kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you clean up, after everyone, on your own?" I asked, turning the faucet off and swerved to face her. Ino wrapped her arms around my neck.

"You would be a realistic one. Men hate kitchen chores," she said with a smile. "But nothing is realistic about you, is there? You're like the prince charming that girls like me only see in our dreams. You're strong and independent, so handsome, so incredibly talented, but you don't flaunt any of it. Do you know how many girls would kill for your private attention?"

"You're about the same for us guys," I grinned slightly, my hands on her waist.

"Oh shut up, you know I'm not," she said. "There are a million girls like me and you know it. I'm well-known in school, get good grades, have good relations with my teachers and friends, but so is any other girl. I'm really nothing special."

"Or so you think," I said, our lips nearing. "Ino-chan, I'm going to kiss you. I don't care if your mother walks in on us."

"Don't worry. She and Shizune-obasan went out. Dad's asleep..." her smile widened a little. "Come here, Naruto-kun."

With that, our lips connected. This is a plus one for refusing Madara's offer. There's just no way I can let go of this girl. If I do, I'd be denying what my heart truly wants; a chance to finally live in peace. I've been fighting for too long, living for even longer. Ino and the friends I have here is the redemption I've ached for. Besides, the old gang is up there watching me. They'd be disappointed if I were to change anything in the past. Everything happened for a reason, be it good or bad.

As much as I want to see everyone again, reliving the time I love, I can't sacrifice the happiness I have here with the people I've come to like, and the girl I've come to love. A minute later, our lips parted. I was about to see if anyone was watching us but Ino caught my face almost immediately.

"Don't look anywhere else right now," she said romantically, capturing my attention instantly. "We don't often get time alone, like this. There's no one else here right now, so let s enjoy this."

"What, my buddy down there didn't satisfy you earlier?" I asked jokingly. Her head tilted slightly for a second.

"That was then, and this is now. You're just so addicting, you know? It's really hard to control myself around you sometimes," she said.

"I can understand that."

"Oh shut up," she said, her soft breasts against my chest. That thought in mind, my buddy jumped to life. This girl really knows how to give me a run for my money. I found my eyes trailing to where our chests touched. Ino rolled her eyes. "Gosh, you're such a pervert. Do you really like them that much?"

"I like everything about you," I said smoothly, playfully poking her supple left breast.

Ino reflexively grabbed my finger and tossed my hand to the side. She snickered at my antics, as did I in the inside. I can't believe how childish I was just now, but it's okay every once in a while. I lowered my lips to kiss her equally supple right breast. Though there was a shirt over it, I could almost swear my lips touched her skin. Ino held my head up and snickered.

"Stop it, you weirdo, it tickles," she said with a giggle following. "But when we're alone, I like it when you do things like this."

"Would it be less weird if I took your shirt off?" Uh oh, my hormones are acting up. Then again, how can it not when I m faced with such a pretty girlfriend? "You got to satisfy me earlier and I just want to return the favor."

"It would be much less weird, yes, but not tonight," she said breathlessly. "I'm tired from all the dancing and drilling. I just want to go to bed."

"I have full intention of returning the favor in bed unless you d like me to do it here in the kitchen, I have no problem with that," I said seductively, kissing her neck, which earned me a playful slap on the arm.

"Oh you," she said playfully. "Not tonight."

"Fine..." I sighed heavily. "Tomorrow night?"

"Maybe," she said, turning away but still smiling. "You better go home before you get tired of me."

"That's not gonna happen."

"The former or the latter?"

"The latter. I would really appreciate it if the former wouldn't happen either," I said, trying to sly-talk my way into staying with her for a bit longer. Before I knew it, we were both at the doorstep. Ino opened the door.

"Good night, Naruto-kun," she smiled softly.

"Aww... but I didn't even finish the dishes."

"I'll take care of it. You've done too much already."

"I think I can do a bit mo-"

"Good night," she said firmly as she closed the door. I smiled at that, dug my hands in my pockets, and headed home. I'd use the Hiraishin no Jutsu instead but I can use the extra bit of time to do some thinking. I can't just shut out Madara's offer. If I could leave the life I've wanted in the past, a childhood without people thinking I'm the scum of the Earth, I would have been a much happier person. I can't deny that my experience as a kid scarred me for life.

I turned at a corner, remembering a bus stop here once upon a time. The moment I turned, a familiar face greeted me. The taller man stood near a bus station, waiting for a ride as well. Madara isn't around. I guess the two parted ways. I stood next to him.

"So how's it like, seeing a member of the old gang again?"

"You mean Deidara? I dunno. I never liked the noisy fag," said the silver-haired preacher. "He's just as much a little bitch here as he is in the past. To think he settled down with that medical cunt, what are the chances?"

"Whoa, that's some mouth you've got," I replied, though not really surprised. Hidan's records say he s got a knack for cursing. Hidan raised a brow at me, then looked up ahead.

"I swore not to curse around that Uchiha-fucker," he chuckled a bit. "Now that he ain't here, I don't give a shit about word-use."

The sleek-haired immortal rested his hands on his hips and stuck his chest out to the world, taking in a heavy breath.

"I haven t cursed like that in a fucking long time. It feels pretty damn good," he said, pleased with his actions. He then looked to me once more, a smile plastered on his face, as a bus arrived at our stop. It's not the right one for me but as Hidan approached it, I figure it's the one he was waiting for. He took a step inside as the door opened and grabbed onto the rail inside. "So then, made that choice yet?"

"Like hell. It's not a light decision to make," I looked away.

"Whatever you say, kid," he laughed. "There are lots of reasons that might push you to refuse Madara's offer, but try to look at it from his perspective. Eternal life and the only thing the poor fuck can think of is an entire race of idiots falling to ruin. Pathetic, really, but to be responsible for that kind of genocide can drive anyone to the edge... well, except that German-pig Hitler."

I sighed at the memory of said tyrant. I only wish I were the one to personally do him in. He was a prick, in every sense of the word, but his influence was absolute.

"Right... What should I do?" Hidan shrugged his shoulders.

"Dunno. You re old enough to think for yourself. Just don't go regretting anything," he said as the door of the bus closed in front of him.

With Hidan out of the picture, I stood alone for another half hour before deciding to cut the trip home by walking instead of waiting for a bus that apparently isn't coming. I know this bus route and chose to follow said route in case the bus would pass by. If it does, a little change of pace wouldn't hurt. My hands dug into my pockets as I continued my trek home. As soon they got in there, my hand was met with a vibrating cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Uzumaki, the guys and I are getting together for a movie. Wanna come with?" asked the resident dog-man. I was hoping to continue pondering about the time-traveling machine but it's really been the only thing in my mind since Madara spoke about it. I need a little break. Maybe this would do me some good.

"Sure. Which theater?"

"The one by 8th and 4th street," he said. "Bring your own money, dude."

With that, he hung up. If I continue walking, there's no way I'd make it to the designated location until tomorrow. Eighth street is a few miles away. I formed a hand seal and used the Hiraishin no Jutsu to flash back home. I took off my sweater and pulled out a black, leather jacket from my closet and left home with my motorcycle.

As soon as a red light stopped me, my mind wandered back to what Madara said about the Kyuubi's spirit being reincarnated into human flesh. That's a definite possibility as I've actually met with the other tailed beasts; their reincarnations. I left them in the U.S, once upon a time. Quite a rambunctious group they turned out to be, but good people nonetheless. I wonder if I'll be seeing them again anytime soon.

Suddenly, I shivered at the thought.

I know, for sure, that the Kyuubi wasn't reincarnated back into me. I would have felt a surge of power from something like that. I also know for sure that Shukaku isn't in Gaara. Along with the extra juice, having a biju inside someone also forces a personality change in that person. The change, of course, depends on the beast inside the jinchuriki.

In this era, Gaara sleeps. He still has dark rings around his eyes but it's due to a special make-up he puts on. In fact, the Gaara of today loves to sleep; he's probably making up for lost time.

Arriving at the 8th street theater, Neji and Lee were already there. I left my motorbike in the parking lot and approached the long-time friends.

"Naruto-kun, how great of you to join this youthful bonding of men!" he exclaimed. Lee will always be Lee. Neji's eyes rolled and turned away, unable to take his friend seriously when he acts this way.

"Uzumaki, do you have any idea why mutt-boy wants to do this?" asked the frustrated Hyuuga. I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, Nara can't make it. Or rather, isn't coming. Maybe he had the right idea. This is a waste of my time."

"Hey come on," I said, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "What's wrong with a little guy night?"

His cold, white eyes peered into mine.

"He and Tenten were ready to deflower!" Lee said a little louder than intended. Neji reeled his fist back and slugged the hyperactive teen in the gut.

Lee fell to his knees, gasping for breath. I probably might have done same. Though, I honestly hoped Lee would have blocked or dodged that sudden strike. Oh well, old expectations die hard. I was so hooked onto our conversation when a raven-haired woman bumped into me, causing me to fall to the ground. However, before hitting the ground, a familiar sensation coursed through my skin.

She wore a blue, business blouse and a black formal jacket over her shoulders. A low, brown skirt covered her legs to her shins, along with a pair of black-heeled shoes on her feet. The man next to her wore a completely casual set, opposite of her more professional attire. One could mistake her for the Feudal Lord's wife with her choice in apparel and overall beauty.

"Hey, you all right?" a voice called ahead of us. The woman on top of me removed herself, allowing me room to get up as well. She rubbed a sore spot on her legs as a spiky rocker-looking man rushed to her aid. "I told you not to run so fast."

"Sorry, but we're going to be late for the movie. It's going to start in couple of minutes," she said as she turned to me and bowed. One good look on her face, and the man beside her, was all that was required to cause my jaw to fall off its hinges. "I'm very sorry, kid. I should have been more careful. You aren't hurt, are you?"

I shook my head wordlessly. The woman turned to her companion and rummaged through her purse and pulled out a pair of movie tickets, giving one to the smiling man. She turned to me and apologized once more.

"H-Haku..." I muttered thoughtlessly. The two looked at each other, then at me.

It's just like me to assume Haku to be a female. He definitely looked the part. His companion wasn't so unfamiliar either. His tanned skin and shark-like teeth aren't something one can easily forget once it's etched into the brains. He did, after all, almost defeat Kakashi-sensei and kill the old bridge builder during my first C-rank, mission

Technically, it should have been at least a B-rank but who really cares nowadays?

The transvestite tilted his head in confusion.

"I'm sorry, have we met before? How do you know my name?" he asked, puzzled.

It was then I realized I had just uttered the name of one of the most beautiful transvestites I've ever seen, without knowing. Like all the others, he must have been reborn into this era, along with that formerly creepy bloody-mist shinobi. It's nice to see them together. They both look to be the same age as when I saw them, all those years ago, maybe a little older. I took another second to make up an excuse. I shouldn't be holding them up like this.

"I'm... uh... you... we were classmates in middle school. You probably wouldn't remember me," I said, my words fumbling. Haku looked to the sky, his voice humming a low sound as he placed a hand on his chin. I wonder what he s thinking. The young man returned his glance to me a few seconds later.

"You're right, I don't remember. It's been a long time, but why don't we catch up some time?" he asked, pulling out a piece of paper and scribbled a phone number on it before handing it to me.

I scanned through the numbers that I would probably be contacting in the near future. It s nice to know these two aren t after my hide this time. I suppose we had nothing against each other in the shinobi era, but I'm glad we haven't met as enemies this time. As the couple turned to leave, Kiba's voice called to me. He had already met up with Lee, Neji, and Gaara was beside him.

"Hoy, let's go! The movie is starting soon!" he said. Before I could answer him, I noticed Haku's attention was focused at the dog-man. He looked to me again, a playful smile on his face.

"My, my, what a loud friend you have," he said. I nodded. "I m sorry to be keeping you. It looks like you also have a movie to get to. You should get going or your friends will leave you."

I politely shook my head.

"It s okay; I m sure someone will save me a seat. It s really not a problem," I said to him.

Since the movie isn't starting yet, maybe I can get some small talk out of the way. This is the first time I've seen Haku since our little square-dance as enemies. I guess not every person I've encountered in the past resides within arms reach.

"So how are you these past few years? How's the family?"

"We re doing just fine, thank you for asking," he said, his eyes looking to my hair. "You know, it s not just your hair but your face and personality that have me puzzled. I feel like we've met somewhere before, even beyond middle school. I'm sorry if I'm pushing my seat too far with this."

I could only shrug. Haku's partner cleared his throat somewhat loudly.

"As cute as this little get-together is, the movie will be starting soon," said Zabuza at least I hope his name hasn't changed. "You know what, I'll go and save us some seats. Why don't you get us some popcorn at the concession stand?"

He pecked Haku's lips before storming into the theater. It might take some time for this whole gay-relationship thing to sink into me but they did have that little thing going for them, at least I believe so. Zabuza was heartless back then, but he did truly care for Haku. They deserve this happy ending.

"He seems like a nice guy," I said to him, holding back some tears I know will be coming down soon. The two of us got in line to purchase some snacks for the movie. Kiba and the others had already left without me. Gaara sent a text saying he'd hold a seat for me. Haku brandished his cell phone, speed-dialed someone, and held the piece of machinery to his ear.

"Hey, mom, you wouldn't believe it but I met some guy from middle school. What are the chances, right?" he said. Oh great. He's already talking to his mother about me. I wonder what she s like, Haku's grandmother. It would be nice to get to know her too, since we weren't given the opportunity last time. "Yeah, I just met him on my way to the theater with Zabuza. I don't know, he looks like he's in high school. Uh-huh. Oh... really? Okay, thanks mom, good night."

I gulped as he pocketed his mobile phone. A grim look replaced his features.

"I suppose I should tell you that I was involved in a car accident a few years ago and was diagnosed with amnesia," he said glumly. Crud didn't think that on through. Haku parked his hands on his hips. "Mom reminded me that I was home-schooled throughout my years as a middle-schooler. You must have had a good reason to lie to someone you have never met, which I don't care about. All I want to know is who you are and how you know my name."

"I see," I said, making sense of her words. My words fumbled in my head. This isn't the way I hoped things would go. All I wanted was a peaceful conversation with an old friend, but no Kami had to twist tonight against me.

"And I think we can both agree that I m passed the point in accepting the you-look-like-someone-I-know excuse," he reprimanded. In a way, this feels soothing in a non-masochist way of speaking. It just feels nice that we re having the buddy-buddy chat that we were deprived of because we were enemies once upon a time.

"I don't mean to lecture someone I've just met but I really hope you aren't one of those people who take advantage of people like me. I know I'm a bit of a klutz sometimes but I don t like being taken advantage of."

"Sorry, I didn't mean for things to turn this way. I just thought I could have a simple conversation with someone outside of my friend zone. You know how high school friends are," I said, getting up. "I should go. My friend is holding me a seat. I apologize if I alarmed you or anything. It wasn't my intention."

"I... all right," he said as I returned him the piece of paper he gave me, the one with his phone number.

"There. I don't want you to be nervous knowing someone you don't know has your phone number. I hope we meet again on better circumstances," I said to him, about to turn away when he called for my attention.

"Wait, what's your name?" he asked. I paused at that. Come to think of it, I haven't revealed my name to him just yet. I mentally smacked myself over the head. How could I have forgotten my manners like that? Here I am with the knowledge of his name, he knows it, and I didn't once tell him mine. I turned my head to his with a smile.

"If we ever meet again, I'll tell you," I said, leaving him at that. I'm satisfied I was given the chance to speak with Haku. Though it wasn't prolonged and didn't go as pleasantly as I had hoped, it was still nice. I guess I'll have to apologize to Kami later.

As soon as I walked into the darkened room where the movie was being held, I immediately spotted a head of spiky red hair. If that wasn't enough of an indication, there was Lee's childish arm-waving and glistening white smile. I sat next to Gaara, who was unfortunately next to Kiba.

"Hey, what was that about?" he asked. Here we go. "I saw you getting all touchy with that hot chick earlier. You re not throwing the moves on her behind Yamanaka's back, are you?" And so it was brought.

"Shut up, the movie is starting," Neji scoffed. I smirked at that and kept my composure. I hope to see him again, as well as Zabuza, but I doubt that will be anytime soon. Tonight was a simple coincidence, nothing more.

**(Next day)**

To go back in time I can't believe I'm still thinking about it. The answer should be no, I have reasons that would be placed on that side of the scale, but clearly the desire to relive my life in my own time still exists. I keep telling myself that my mind is already made up, that I shouldn't even be considering it anymore; but I can't stop processing Madara's words in my head. His offer isn't really something I can just swat to the side and never think about. I told him I'd give it a serious thought and if I just toss it after a few reasons that would get me to stay, I can't tell him I gave an honest effort.

My eyes tore away from Kakashi-sensei's rambling; it was boring anyway, something about Japanese poetry. I like the idea of poetry, but it was never my thing. As soon as the bell rang, ending the current class, the silver-haired-Cyclops sighed and closed his class text book before walking out of the room with a yawn. Finally, it s lunch time. At last, I can focus on getting these thoughts out of my head. My decision is to stay in this time. I may not belong here, but I'm definitely going to die here. Besides, I like what I have. My friends from high up told me to be happy where I am.

I don't want to disappoint them.

If I go back in time, would it tear their souls from the afterlife and drag them back down here? Is that how the soul thing works? If so, I don't want that for them. They deserve to rest in peace.

I made it to my locker without much of Madara's words surging in and out of my head. When I arrived, I noticed my locker was already open and someone was using it. As soon as I noticed a trail of blond hair, my nerves were immediately calmed. I forgot I decided to share my locker with her after she gave hers to someone else. Allowing her usage of my locker means I have no secret to keep, yet I'm keeping this time-traveling nonsense from her. She deserves to know.

I bumped my butt against Ino's hip, effectively moving her to the side.

"Ow! You know, an excuse me would have sufficed," she huffed, rubbing the semi-sore spot. There were no books on her arms, just a white plastic bag. "I made a bento for you so we can have lunch together. Shizune-obasan gave me one of her old recipe books and I spent hours trying to make a dish. I really want you to try it."

"Are you sure?" I asked, tucking my books inside the locker. With her stuff inside to occupy space, I have to make full use of the locker s 12x24 inch size. "I was just going to buy something from the cafeteria.

"Forget that," she said with a temper. "Cafeteria food concentrates on flavor without giving a care for the excess calories. There is no way I m letting any of that bad stuff into your system; I don t care if you have fat-burning chakra. From now on, I ll make lunch for you too."

I looked to her, finishing my business with my locker.

There she goes again with that fat-burning chakra nonsense. I m starting to wonder if there's such a thing. I mean, the Akimichi clan, namely Choji, was capable of producing it with the use of a special pill. If I can find or at least rediscover that recipe, I may just be able to reproduce its effects. A fat-burning recipe could be worth millions to the right person or company. Come to think of it, obesity is a growing problem in certain countries, namely the United States. Maybe they'd like a dash of the stuff?

"All right, I'll try it out. No need to make a fuss," I said as she latched onto my arm with a smile.

As we walked out of the building, just a few more paces to the exit, we were stopped when a very beautiful person, with long black hair, strode passed us. Wearing the male uniform, I figured him to be a man. He also lacks breasts, another clear giveaway. But his fair skin and curvy body threw me for a loop. Our eyes connected for a moment.

"H-Hey, it s you again," he said, raising a finger to point at me, smiling. Ino looked to him, then to me. "You're a student here? Who would've thought? I've been very sick for a while, so I've been at home a lot. I've just been cleared to return to school."

I could only nod. With all the coincidences of my past peers appearing as students of the same high school, getting used to it all was mandatory. He placed his hands on his hips.

"Hold on, you told me you'd give me your name if we ever met again," he said, forcing my hand. He looked to Ino with a smile. His eyes trailed to Ino s arms, which were still holding onto mine. "Ah, you're his girlfriend aren't you? My name is Haku.

"Why do I not like where this is going?

Ino shook his hand.

"Haku-san? I m Yamanaka Ino," she introduced, looking to me. "Naruto-kun, you look fumbled. Are you all ri-" I clasped her mouth shut as I leaned to her ears to mutter a whisper.

"Remind me later. I'll explain everything, I promise," I said softly. Ino nodded slowly, muffling an okay through my hands. Haku's smile turned devious.

Naruto-kun, is it? I suppose that's enough," he said, looking to Ino. "Are you two going to lunch? Perhaps you can join me instead. Your boyfriend and I have some talking to do.

"Y-Yes, sure," said Ino, giving a nervous bow as we followed him to another classroom.

The scent of onigiri, dango, and orange juice made its way to my nostrils. Haku's lunch was on a desk. He pulled up two seats and set them near the desk. I took my seat beside Ino, who was setting up our bento box. There was only one but it was pretty big, enough for two people. She opened the lid as a spread of food was laid out, evenly divided using fried eggs. Ino took one pair of chopsticks. I waited for her to give me a pair, but there was only one.

Her face flushed.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"I just remembered I only packed one pair of chopsticks. I was going to feed you, but now that we're in front of someone it s embarrassing. There's no way I can do it," she said.

"It's fine. I can help myself," I said, attempting to grab the chopsticks but she pulled her hand back.

"No, I'll bear with it. I prepared this bento so I'm going to follow through with this," she said as she took a helping of fried fish and rice and placed it in my mouth. Though her method was forceful, I found myself enjoying her cooking. The fish was a bit salty, but tolerable.

"Wow. That's pretty good," I said. Ino smiled wide and continued to feed me. All the while, Haku was watching with glee.

"Good heavens, you two make a wonderful couple," he said. Ino looked to him but my gaze remained on the next helping she was about to give me. "Hum, just now, I imagined Naruto-kun with another girl, someone with shorter, bubble-gum pink hair. I guess it's just my strange fantasies at play."

Oh, that's right! Haku, of the past, remembers me traveling with Sakura. I wonder if those memories carried over to his reincarnated self?

Ino glanced to me.

"Pink hair? Sakura?" She questioned, her arms crossing under her chest. "Is there something I should know?"

"Later. This stuff is great!" I said, complimenting on the bento.

Ino could only sigh. Haku glanced to me.

"So, tell me about yourself Naruto-kun. Our meeting like this, so soon, can t just be a coincidence," he said, moving his chair so he could sit beside me. His brown, leather, desk chair was supported by five legs with wheels under them, allowing for easy movement on the floor. "You know, it s strange to use such a friendly honorific with your name, Naruto-kun, but I rather like it. I feel closer to you already."

I could only return his smile as I opened my mouth for another serving which didn't come. I looked to Ino, who was gripping her chopsticks with more force than necessary for a pair of thin wood. She was shooting me a deathly glare. It was then I remembered that Ino wasn't keen on letting anyone else use the "kun" honorific with my name except her. It was her thing with me, a sign of endearment. To hear someone she had just met using that specific honorific so casually must be getting to her last nerve.

"Haku-san," she called out, sticking the tips of her chopsticks on the rice. Ino stood and walked over to the smirking young man. "Please don't use that honorific with him.

"Hm? It s just a title, so why not?" he asked.

"Now, now, Ino-chan, let's try to calm down," I said, trying to avoid a storm. I don't understand why the kun honorific should only be reserved for her. She'll have a hell of a time if she ever finds out her dear uncle Madara refers to me as "Naruto-kun." Hum, I believe Orochimaru also used that honorific with me. Speaking of whom, I wonder if I'll ever meet the snake bastard in this era.

Haku played into her game.

"Why ever not, I-n-o-chan?" he asked slyly, almost seductively as he enunciated every letter in the name. I heaved a sigh. I knew things weren't going to end well. I should have known the Haku of this era would be at least a little different from the one I knew back then. Although we had only a few minutes to communicate without holding kunai and shuriken at each other's throats, it was long enough for me to know the Haku of the past was much gentler than this.

Ino recomposed herself and took a deep breath, releasing it afterward.

"I'm not going to quarrel with you, but please respect my request and don t use that term," she said. Haku snickered as he returned to his desk.

"Oh lighten up, will you? It's not my fault that your boyfriend is so cute," he said. Ino shivered as he said that and neatly placed the lid back on the bento. She held the chopsticks on the other hand and packed the bento back into the plastic bag before standing up. Ino took my hand and yanked me up. Haku took a bite of his dango.

"Sorry, but we have things to do," she said, dragging me out of the room. As soon as we arrived outside, we immediately spotted the others - seated on a patch of grass under a shady tree. They were engaged in one of Kiba s stories. They made room for us.

"Hoy, where have you guys been?" he asked, looking to me. "More importantly, Uzumaki, that chick from the theater is here as a student. Have you met her yet?"

If only he knew.

"Yeah, we talked earlier. By the way, I know she was hot but she s actually a guy," I said. Kiba's jaw fell, followed by a few giggles from Hinata. "But yeah, he's quite the looker.

Ino shot me a look. I could only smile in innocence.

I meant that as a compliment to him, it s nothing to worry about, I said in a reassuring tone.

Ino looked away as Kiba resumed his story, capturing the others attention.

"I don't have to worry, right?"

"About?"

"You know what."

"You mean Haku-san? What s there to worry about?" Ino sighed, stirring the rice in the bento with her chopsticks.

He's as beautiful as some of the girls in this school and he's really into you. It didn't look like you were against his approaches either and-"

"I'm straight, Ino," I cut in, hopefully making her feel more at ease. "You don't have to worry. However gorgeous he is, my lower horn reacts to long-haired blonds with supple oppai."

Oh god, what am I saying?

"Our principal fits that description, you know. And... did you just say oppai?" she asked, raising a brow with a stern face.

"Okay, granted. Then, I'll correct myself by saying _young and non-alcoholic_ long-haired blonds with supple oppai. And yes, I did say oppai."

"What is it with men and breasts? They're two mounds of useless fat that-" I cut her off by placing both hands on her shoulders. Amazingly, the other males of our group stood behind me.

"Ino-chan," I said, my face against hers. The guys took in a breath, as if ready to join in on what I was about to say. I found it especially odd that Gaara, Shino, and Neji are also in on this. They must be rolling in their graves, right about now.

"Oppai is one of man's truly great treasures. It's a source of life, warmth, and comfort to us. Oppai is not useless. Oppai is glorious, beautiful, and to be honored. Never disrespect the power of oppai," we said in unison. As I lowered my head to face the ground, or Ino's chest, the others bowed humbly as well.

Afterward, they returned to their respective areas. The girls gave them awkward looks. My girlfriend unit could only roll her eyes as I pulled myself away. I guess there's a certain level of perversion that girlfriends are willing to take from their boyfriends.

I placed a hand on her knee.

"Anyway, about Haku, really, don t worry about it. He s just someone I met last night, before watching a movie with the guys. Besides, he s got someone else wrapped around his finger."

"Are you sure about that?" she retorted, following a sigh. "I m sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. When he got close to you, I just sort of got defensive. It was childish of me."

"Yeah, but I'd probably react the same way if a hunkier guy did that with you," I said, an effort to make her smile again. She looked to me and nodded a few moments later. I returned the smile and retrieved the bento. "Great, now how about we finish that lunch? I'm still starving."

"Right, I completely forgot," she said, serving me more rice with fried eggs and chicken. "So, how about explaining to me what you promised earlier?"

"Oh, that," I muttered. Making sure no one else was listening, I leaned to her ear. "As you know, his name is Haku. He was also the first person to teach me the lesson of companionship, back in the day. Ino clasped her hands to her mouth.

"We were enemies, when we first met. He died right in front of me, protecting his friend," I said, recalling Kakashi's chidori plunged through Haku's chest. "In the end, he and his friend died together. He taught me how valuable friendship was and I'm forever grateful to him for that."

"Oh my god," Ino said softly. Her reaction to the news was priceless. It's like I m living a reality T.V show. "I'm so sorry for getting angry at you.

"It's okay. How about repaying me with a little action tonight?" I scooted closer to her. Ino sighed and shoved another helping of food into my mouth.

"You have a one-track mind, don't you? she asked. "Talking about something like that when around so many people, you have no shame do you?"

"Shorry," I said, my mouth filled with eggs and beef- some of which were spilling out as I spoke. "I jhust can't help myshelf when I m around-joo. You re sho aweshome and sheckshy, it'sh really hard to reshisht."

"How about you swallow first? You're such a pig," she replied, aggravated as she flicked off some rice from her skirt that came from my mouth. I heeded her advice in order to avoid more trouble. "Honestly, five centuries of living and you don't even have table manners?"

"Sorry about that too, bad eating habits and all. You should have met me, when I was your age. You'd have gotten a stroke, for sure," I laughed. A single grain of rice splattered on Ino's cheek. My body reclined in shock as Ino took a napkin and wiped the chewy smudge off of her face.

"Oh Naruto-kun what ever will I do with you?"

"Actually, I should be the one asking you that. I learned a new technique and a new position online. I've been itching to try it," I said with a smirk, which was rewarded with a painful smack to the head. "Ow! What was that for? I think it's only natural for couples to try other positions. I mean, missionary is cool and all but it gets boring after a while."

"Time and place, Naruto-kun," she hissed, a vein popping on her forehead. "Why me?"

"Because I'm just too adorable to resist?"

"Great, he's cocky too," she said, another helping of food entering my mouth. Ino's eyes were closed as she let out a groan. "But I'm still in love. What's wrong with me?"

"I don't blame you. I m pretty irresistible," I said, earning another smack on the head. I returned her offensive action with a smile as I opened my mouth wide for more of her home-cooking.

I hope these peaceful times last forever, though I know that's wishful thinking. Madara is going to find the Kyuubi's reincarnation soon, especially if I don't pick up the pace in finding him or her first. But, the decision on whether or not to agree to help him has been weighing down on my shoulders. I can't think of anything else but that. I have every reason to decline, so why can't I just drop it? Is it because I can't stand to see people in pain, even my former enemies?

When he finds the Kyuubi and executes his plan, will I be able to stop him? No, wrong question. How can I stop someone who's seeking redemption for his sins? I'd be going against everything I was raised to believe in. Someone trying to right the wrongs of his past, who am I to get in the way of that? I guess the god-honest question I should be asking myself is...

Will I want to stop him?

We'd all be back to square one, back when life made more sense than it does now; the simpler times. At the expense of my pleasure, he'll be getting his way. But, thinking about it, his intentions are pure. Although this is Madara Uchiha, I know he doesn't have any ulterior motives. The people here will cease to exist. I'll remember them, when I'm back in my time, but they won't know me.

Pros... I get to relive the glory days with a new flame to the old wick. Problem is, I'll have all my memories - especially the part where I'd have allowed an innocent life to be extinguished so that I can get my second wind. That person's blood will be on my hands for the rest of my life.

Cons... the reincarnations of my friends will have never lived, and the souls of their predecessors will most likely be ripped from heaven to relive their old lives. They won't remember any of it, but I will. That burden will be on me.

Shit. No matter my choice, I'm going to end up regretting something.

* * *

**Oh, I should mention that this is the last chapter in which I'll be using Japanese honorifics (kun, chan, san, etc.). I guess having it increases the whole feeling of being in Japan, as well as the story taking place there, but it's a bit annoying for me to deal with. I hope this doesn't bother anyone.**

**When I was writing this story, I don't know, a year ago, I liked the idea of using the honorifics. But now that I reread it, it gets sickening to read those little tidbits. I apologize if anyone is offended by this. But if the writer (me) is no longer comfortable with it, then it's gonna come off.  
**

**If you must, just imagine that these characters are using the honorifics. When you're reading, fill in the blanks. If I'm ever going to use little pet-names, they're going to be American ones, such as "baby" or "honey" but I don't see myself doing that any time soon. Again, I'm just not the writer I used to be.  
**

**Once more, my apologies.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto**

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**Chapter 5: Tails of Uzumaki**

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"Ah, hold on, Gaara-sempai, it goes like this," said Matsuri, Gaara's partner for Ino's birthday celebration.

She lowered his right hand to her waist. I watched them from afar while subconsciously practicing my dance with said blond. Looking back, the little brunette had a huge crush on the red-headed Kazekage. Unfortunately, the guy was too caught up with political affairs to have time for a personal life. They never got anywhere back then, but it seems like they're making progress now.

It's been a couple of weeks since we started learning ballroom dancing. We gathered at Ino's place right after school to rehearse the routine that her mother taught us. Aside from myself: Neji, Ayame, and Hinata, the others had a lot of trouble with the choreograph. A unanimous vote was cast that they couldn't possibly face Kana, Ino's mother and our instructor, until they at least got the gist of what she was trying to show us on the most recent practice.

I mentally sighed as Ino stepped on my foot for the umpteenth time. She's trying her hardest but she's not built for this kind of delicacy. Ino has always been the tough girl, this time around anyway, so this sort of dance is a foreign concept to her. Her experience with hip-hop dancing carried nothing over for this ordeal. She's trying her best, at least. That's all anyone can ask of her.

"Children of the Benevolent One, take a well-deserved break to soothe the strains on your muscles," said Hidan, in a singing voice, coming out of the kitchen with an apron and mittens on. He shot me a glare before I could laugh my heart out. He heightens his voice like this, as well as swelling up his attitude, when he's around his family or friends. Otherwise, even he curses while preaching the goodness and salvation of the poor sap upstairs.

Most of Ino's court groaned in misery as they stepped out to the backyard for some home-cooked barbecue. Once they received their meals, some of them separated from their partners to mingle with others. Some went out to the grassy front yard. Others stayed in the back yard. Instead of joining them, I turned the radio off, which was playing formal ballroom music for us to dance to and hopefully memorize for the big day. I slouched on a couch, in the living room, afterward.

Ino sat beside me, snuggling close.

"Not gonna join the others for lunch?" I suggested. The female blond shook her head.

"You're here, so what else could I possibly want?" she said, her hand clasping mine. I nodded to that.

On top of student council duties and responsibilities as a hip-hop dance team captain, Ino still has to deal with the whole shebang of her debut dance. Since the event is focused solely on her, she has the most amount of steps to learn. It's not to say I don't have much, but compared to hers, my steps are relatively short, simple, and relaxing. Besides, I've got the basic idea down already. The rest should just follow naturally.

"I'll get us something," I stood up, leaving a disappointed Ino. "I'm not gonna have you faint from hunger while we're practicing. You have to eat too."

"I guess so," she said with a sigh. I bent down to kiss her on the forehead as I made my way to the back yard. However, before I could set a foot outside, Kiba came into the living room from the front door.

"Uzumaki, you have guests," he said, his nose bleeding a bit. I heaved a sigh as soon as I noticed he was telling the truth. Eight very beautiful young women, in military uniforms, stood outside, saluted at me. The center soldier relaxed her gesture after I acknowledged her. Legs spread apart to shoulder level, her hands crossed behind her.

Their outfits mirrored each other, at least for the seven behind the soldier up front: a camo jacket, a woodland camo skirt, and black leather boots. The woman at the center, long brown hair worn down, wore a forest-green V-neck tank top with a half-zipped cargo jacket, of the same color, on top, camo pants, and black leather boots. The word 'ARMY' was branded at the center of her shirt, colored brown. The other women behind her, spread vertically, had their hair worn up in a professional bun.

_"Brigadier General, Naruto Uzumaki VIII,"_ greeted the center soldier, speaking with well-mannered and crisp English. Her English wasn't what surprised Ino and the others, but the rank she referred to me with. The lean-bodied, hazel-eyed, busty soldier was truly an example of an experienced military-woman. _"By personal request of Major General Bee, you are to return to the United States military at once."_

Kankuro's jaw fell.

"I may not understand English very well, but I know what I heard. You're a Brigadier General?!" he shouted at my ear. Ino stood from the couch and stood next to me, eying the American soldiers at her doorstep.

_"Naruto Uzumaki… the 8th?"_ she asked. I leaned to her ear.

"Shadow clones, transformation jutsus, and lots of spare time," I briefly explained in a whispered tone. Ino nodded in understanding. I had almost forgotten I even attained such a rank in the U.S army. There have been many occasions that I joined, using slightly different aliases.

My most recent departure was, in fact, just last year. There's always something, some kind of tragic event that forces me to leave the army, only to return another one or two generations later and with a different name. I met with Bee during that time, his reincarnation of course. He still sings terrible rap songs, every bit as bad as he was in his past life. Just last year, we were at the same rank. I guess he was recently promoted to Major General. The prick actually outranks me now.

"Uzumaki, who are these women?" asked Neji. I scratched the back of my head.

"Well, I suppose it's time I explain," I said to him and looked to the soldiers outside. _"Why don't you ladies come in? Take a seat somewhere."_

_"Yes sir,"_ said the same woman as she and the other seven entered the house.

The last one to come inside closed the door behind her. The eight women filled a space within the couches of the living room. My friends all looked to me for an explanation, even Ino. Although I told her that I was once in the U.S army, when eight beautiful young women show up at your doorstep, wanting you to come with them, your girlfriend's mind tends to wander.

"You see, before I came to Japan, I was in the U.S army for several years, in a special super soldier program," I started. "The program gathered two-dozen young children, from various backgrounds, to participate. The military had the means to forge an ultimate soldier, the peak of human perfection, using experimental technology that hadn't been released to the public."

There was indeed such a program, but I wasn't an actual candidate. Before the little tykes got anywhere in their training, I sneaked into the base, pulled out a kid's file, and changed the information to match my identity. I think I was just bored back then, having just graduated from my tenth University. I thought super soldier program was pretty cool-sounding.

When the paperwork was finalized under the hands of the coordinator at the time, I was able to take the kid's place as a candidate. The rest was made possible through simple transformation jutsus to match the age of the kid. Due to my training as a shinobi, as well as tactical and leadership experience of a trained assassin, I soared through the ranks with ease.

"Among other things, I was trained to fight and kill very efficiently. Some time after that, I formed this special platoon of soldiers that I personally trained, above all the other platoons under my command. Even with their own areas of specialties, each of them are very good, well-rounded soldiers."

I looked to the group of eight women, each looking to be in their early-to-mid-twenties.

"For confidentiality reasons, I can't reveal their true names but they do have code names to go by," I said, glancing to the light brown-haired woman to the far left then slowly moving to the right as I recited their aforementioned names and military expertise.

"Master Sergeant Ichibi, firearms specialist; Master Sergeant Nibi, silent assassination specialist; Sergeant Major Sanbi, infiltration specialist; Sergeant Major Yonbi, engineer and motor-vehicles expert; Second Lieutenant Gobi, hand to hand combat expert; Second Lieutenant Rokubi, trap master; First Lieutenant Shichibi, demolitions and explosives expert; and Captain Hachibi, tech hacker and interrogation specialist. Together, they're my special platoon, a covert black-ops unit if you will; The Eight Tails of Uzumaki."

Ino and the others remained silent, their lunch getting cold. Hidan walked in from the kitchen to greet the new guests, not realizing he had come in at a very inappropriate time.

"Welcome to the humble home of Yamana- huh?" he paused, looking at the young faces of my soldiers. It was then that he let out a laugh. Ichibi clenched her fists and stood, glaring at him.

_"What's so funny, asshole?"_ she barked.

Immediately, I stood as well and pressed a hand to her shoulder, seating her down. I guess Hidan recognized their chakra signatures as I did when I first found them. They're the physical reincarnations of each tailed beast. The only one missing is the Kyuubi, whom I haven't located yet. I just hope I find her, or him, before Madara does. Though, with my luck, the Kyuubi will probably be a female.

A tear of joy fell from the former killer's eyes.

"Oh, to be young and snappy… those were the good days," he said nonchalantly, retreating to the kitchen while still laughing.

I smiled at my friends innocently, then looked to Ichibi.

_"Hey, you're a guest in this house so keep the language to yourself, all right?"_ I asked. Ichibi bowed her head and nodded.

Now, it was Hachibi's turn to stand, the only soldier who didn't wear a camo skirt. She was like the leader of the pack when I'm not around, which is why she probably wears a more distinguishable set of apparel as compared to the others. Her long, chocolate-brown hair was tied up in a high pony tail, reaching the tip of her tailbone.

_"Tell the Major General that I can't make it. I'm already really busy here, and I'm trying to live a normal, civilian life,"_ I said. The U.S soldier stood firmly, not backing down at my refusal._ "Besides, I've cut my contact with the United States Army. I'm no longer affiliated with you guys. That being, you can even drop my title if you want."_

_"Negative, Brigadier. Major General Bee has a copy of all your paperwork. You may have burned the originals but you are still registered with us,"_ said Hachibi. That son of a… he would do that just to get on my nerves. _"Please hear me out, sir. Permission to speak freely."_

_"Granted,"_ I said. The soldier lowered her hand from his salute position and stood up straight, hands behind her back. The soldiers under her command did the same.

_"You see, sir, there was a lot of commotion when you left. I understand your departure with the corp. wasn't on the best of terms, mimicking the situation with your great grandfather's resign after the bombing of Nagasaki,"_ she said. I thought back on what she said.

_"Those are personal reasons, Captain,"_ I told her. The woman nodded.

_"Unfortunately, your presence has been requested. The United States and Russia may engage in war for a blue print of a prototype exoskeleton that will revolutionize warfare. Hundreds of recruits are enlisting every week and we're short on experienced personnel to accommodate their training as most are out in the field. It's because of this that your return has been requested. You are the youngest and most successful soldier in this generation. Your experience will be useful to the new recruits,"_ she finished.

_"Introductions aside, we're not to leave without you, sir. We have strict orders from Major General Bee himself,"_ she said sternly. It was then that a tear fell from her eyes. The other soldiers bowed their heads. Oh my girls… they can be very bipolar when they need to be. _"Why didn't you take us with you, sir? If it was something we did, please let us know and-"_

_"I missed you, Hachibi, all of you,"_ I said, approaching her with a tight embrace. _"I didn't mean to leave you all so abruptly. I treasure all of our memories together, but Japan is my home. It was calling me back and it was just my time to go."_

I released her and wiped her tears with a single finger. I then turned to the seated women, their eyes not meeting mine as I knelt below their level. Yonbi's words fumbled in her mouth. Her tears made it difficult to speak properly.

_"Although we're older, you're like a big brother to us, sir,"_ she said sadly, finally meeting my eyes. I haven't yet told them about my true age, or anything shinobi related, though maybe I should. Secrecy never did anyone any good after all. _"We were nobodies before you banded us together. You gave us a purpose, and for that we're always grateful to you. Please come back. The corp. isn't the same without you."_

I dried her tears as well and stood. Their heads raised to me as I rose. Hachibi returned to her seat, looking to me as well.

_"Sorry, but I can't go back. I have something very important I need to do here, and I have friends who need me here,"_ I said, glancing to them. None of them understand English very well, of that I'm sure, but they listened nonetheless.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence until Rokubi stood from her space. She looked to the women who have grown close to her like sisters. Each of them nodded, having formed an invisible agreement. She then looked to me.

_"If you won't come with us, then we'll stay with you,"_ she said. I grimaced at that and moved back some, however my feet remained planted on the floor. _"According to our intelligence, you live not too far from this house. Major General said if we can't bring you back, then we are to stay with you, at your house, until you decide to return."_

My body froze at that. Back in the corp. they all stay in separate rooms, and as do I. To have them living with me, under one roof, will be utter chaos. In all the years I spent training them, there have been a few accidents in which I would sometimes walk in on them doing… girl things… in their respective rooms during off-hours. Since they're my personal platoon, it's my job to check in on them every now and then. Of course, fortunately, they weren't mad at me.

Although Yonbi said they see me as a big brother, she and the others know it was just a front. She didn't want to tell the truth in front of other strangers.

The truth being that they've made their separate, shameless, advances towards me. Admiration always comes with a price. In times of professional business, they're trained killers and assassins. But during off-hours, they're just women with their own needs and desires. Unfortunately, they have no eyes for other men but me. I've tried setting them up with other male soldiers from the corp. That plan went down the toilet when they each admitted they have eyes only for me… and they don't mind sharing.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Ino finally asked. I flinched as soon as I heard her voice, not able to find it in myself to look her in the eyes. Hachibi cleared her throat.

"The eight of us are staying with the General, at his house, until he finishes whatever he needs to do here," she said in very clean Japanese. Due to her interrogation expertise, Hachibi is well-versed in many languages. She coiled her arms around my neck, slowly and extremely seductively. Her breasts were against my chest as she peered over my shoulder. Ino gritted her teeth and stood.

"I don't care who you are, but get your hands off of him," she said angrily. I personally removed Hachibi's arms off of me and stepped back to Ino's side.

_"Ladies, this is Yamanaka Ino… my girlfriend,"_ I said, though knowing them they wouldn't be the least bit ticked off with this news. In fact…

"Oooh, a challenge," said Shichibi, also in Japanese, a smirk caressing her features.

The blond-headed woman stood from her space on the couch, walked up to me, and slid her smooth finger up my chin. Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and Temari, backed away. Shichibi slithered a hand behind my neck and slowly leaned her lips to mine. Before I could start World War III, I swerved my head to the side so my lips just barely grazed the soldier's cheek. Her arms and shoulders tingled from the extremely light touch of my lips.

"General… I miss your touch, even if it's just something as simple as that," she said with a smile, winking at Ino. Shichibi's hand stroked her own cheek. The platinum-blond teen narrowed her eyes, looked to me, and smashed her lips to mine. I instantly relaxed into the kiss, however forced it was. As soon as she pulled out, her glare shot through me.

"Wow General, you have a mean girlfriend. Let me ease you up," said Rokubi, walking to my side. I guess all English has been thrown out the window.

Nibi approached the other side. Yonbi's hands slithered up from my ribs, to my pectorals. Rokubi and Nibi wrapped her arms around my arms, their woman parts pressed against me. Ichibi and Sanbi bumped Ino's butt to the side. Their hands went up from my abdomen, to my chest. Both women's lips curved to a smile as well.

Hachibi and Gobi licked their lips, eyes stripping me naked from afar.

"Holy shit… this is hot," said Kiba, fanning himself. Hinata nudged him hard on the side. Through sheer effort, I managed to break free from their holds.

"Hey, hey, come on now. You know I can't do this anymore. I have a girlfriend now," I said, holding onto Ino's hand. I hid behind her like a coward, much to my own dismay. But even with my display of cowardice, Ino accepted it. She must really be getting pressured. My platoon of special elites are very beautiful, after all. Plus, they… know things… that she doesn't. It took all my shinobi training, and then some, to stay pure while around them, ever since they took a liking to me.

I really wanted to respond to their feelings, but knew it, at the time, to be selfish. Since the Fox's power still lingered within me, I figured I'd outlive the people I love. They would die of old age without me. It's for that reason that I chose not to get close to anyone. Of course, that situation has now changed.

Hachibi snapped her fingers. In an instant, the other soldiers backed away.

"We'll be at your place, sir," she said. Sanbi dangled a set of house keys in front of me. I didn't bother checking to see if they were mine. I know they're mine. Sanbi always did have sneaky fingers, thus the infiltration specialist. In seconds, they left the same way they came in. Hachibi was the last to leave, but she didn't without a wink to me and a flying kiss. I gulped as Ino turned to me.

"You touch them and I'll kill you, got it?" her anger flared for a brief moment. Almost immediately, her rage passed. I'm starting to wonder if she's bipolar too. "But I trust you. I saw how you backed away from Shichibi's advances. I know you won't be unfaithful, although they're very beautiful."

"Y-yeah, okay," I continued to cower. Ino can be very intimidating when she wants to be. As Kiba started the trend, Lee began fanning himself too. Sakura glared daggers at him.

"I shall never be unfaithful, Sakura-chan!" Lee said defensively, though deep inside his heart was pounding madly. Even Gaara found himself sweating, and nothing ever gets to him. Matsuri tossed a tissue to his face. Her arms crossed under her chest afterward.

"Well then… I think we should head home. It's getting late," said Ayame. The others agreed with that, though the girls exited the house faster than their partners could realize they were gone. The guys left soon after, leaving only Ino and I. Her eyes hadn't left mine yet.

"I trust you, okay? I'll always trust you," she assured me, though she was probably just reassuring herself. "I know I don't have to worry because you're exclusively mine, right? I don't care what you did before dating me but if we're going to be together, it's just us right?"

"Yeah," I nodded, seating us both on the couch behind. Ino's mother, aunt, and uncle are staying at a hotel in town. Her father is at work, Madara ditched, and Hidan, though at the kitchen, should be on his way to a parish to start his preaching. As long as that whack-o doesn't come in here, we're all alone.  
I lowered my lips to her neck, trailing kisses all over her flesh.

"Can we?" I asked, unbuttoning her blouse.

"I can't. Today isn't a safe day."

"I have a rubber on me."

"You know how I hate it when you wear those things."

"I'll pull out."

"I hate it when you pull out," she said with a playful smile as I freed her left breast, from its bra, with my mouth, and licked her hardening nipples. "No, okay? I'm sorry. I want to do it too, but just be patient alright?"

I wasn't about to give up yet.

"How about…" I leaned up to her ear to whisper a single word. Ino's face flushed a deep red, but she nodded. I picked her up and took us to her room.

"I love you so much," she said to me, her hands around the back of my neck.

"I love you too," I said back, dipping down to kiss her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

It wasn't until a couple of hours later that I found myself heading home via motorcycle. Today isn't a safe day, but both of us needed a bit of action. Our session wasn't done the normal way, but it was fun nonetheless. I stopped by a donut stand to grab some sugar before getting home. I haven't done a page of homework yet and I'm going to need something to keep me up. Ino already did all of hers and went to sleep after I left. I glanced to my cell phone.

"8:30pm, not too bad," I said. I can always brew some coffee if I need an extra push.

I pulled into the garage and walked into a sleeping Ichibi, Yonbi, and Shichibi. They wore large shirts, most likely from my closet, and light undergarments. Not wanting to disturb their sleep, I made my way to my room but accidentally tripped on a Mark XIX .50 Desert Eagle, one of Ichibi's personal keepsakes. Since the magazine was removed, it didn't go off, but the loud thud my butt made on the floor was enough to wake the three light sleepers.

_"Welcome back, General,"_ said Yonbi, crawling on top of me with straddled legs. She lowered her lips to my neck but never managed to touch as I moved away. Ichibi and Shichibi walked past a pouting Yonbi. _"Oh come on, I want him."_

_"Lost your chance,"_ said Shichibi. Before I could get up, Shichibi coiled her legs around mine and pulled me to her using a rainbow-like sweeping motion. _"You're losing your touch, General. Back then, you could easily get away from that hold."_

_"Well excuse me, Shichibi,"_ I muttered. I tried to stand once more but Ichibi got atop me. She licked her lips seductively.

_"Rokubi and Hachibi stepped out for the moment. Nibi, Gobi, and Sanbi are asleep upstairs. It's just the four of us now, General,"_ she said slyly. _"We've been missing this for a long time. Just let us have a bit of fun. We won't say anything to your girlfriend."_

Ichibi pressed against my left arm and Yonbi on my right arm.

_"We heard what she said about not touching us,"_ said Yonbi, her hands all over my arm. _"Technically, you're not don't anything wrong; you're not touching us; we're touching you. It's been so long, General."_

I rolled my eyes, but I do owe it to them.

Shichibi caressed my groin. I shivered a bit, in reaction to her advance.

_"It's not fair,"_ said the seven tail reincarnation._ "You gave your girlfriend your first time. Can we at least have a little bit of you too?"_

_"Shichibi…"_ I muttered, looking to Ichibi and Yonbi's hopeful eyes as well. I never did give them what they wanted. But now that I've given my first time to the one I truly love, won't it be okay to grant them their wish?

_"There's no need to raise a finger either, General,"_ said Ichibi, her lips kissing my neck. _"We'll do everything. Just relax where you are and-"_

_"Hey, let him go!"_ said Sanbi, coming down the stairs in nothing but a bra and my pajama pants. Her bra did little to hide her voluptuous body. In fact, every single one of them are endowed with physical traits that would make the most exotic women jealous. The raven-haired woman approached me, her breasts threatening to jump out of her bra.

Why, oh why can't they be more sensitive with their clothing when around me?

_"He's tired from a long day. Let him get some rest,"_ she said. I let out a sigh. Finally, someone with some sense… which unfortunately was temporary as she looked to me with lustful eyes. _"But when he gets up, it's open season."_

Using what chakra I have left, after Ino practically drained me, I jumped up, ran to my motorcycle, and drove off. Those women will be the end of me, one of these days, and it really doesn't help that they're drop-dead gorgeous – super model status. I don't care where I go, as long as it's not near them when I have no energy to put up a decent struggle. I trained them personally, so I'm sure they'd best me if I'm not careful.

My house is no longer safe. Maybe Shikamaru will take me in, or maybe I should just return to Ino's place. Given the circumstances, I'm sure she'll let me spend the night at her place. A breath of defeat escaped me as I drove. How did I ever remain pure with those women constantly on my neck? When they're not out on a mission, they're on me 24/7. For a long time, I figured they just wanted some attention, but this is unbelievable.

I stopped at a red light to collect my thoughts. They're all like sisters to me, I practically raised them from nothing and trained them to work together as deadly soldiers of the United States. Despite their ranks, they're very well-known in the corp. and listen only to me… that was until I left the corp. They must have been devastated but I feel I spent enough time in the U.S army. Japan really was calling me back. Who knows? Maybe the U.S army will call me back as well.

As soon as the light turned green, my stomach began to grumble. Great… I should have eaten when I was at Ino's place. I was hungry when we were getting hot and heavy, but I ignored it because I really needed Ino that time. Now, my stomach needs food. I turned into a fast food restaurant. I was about to make an order when I noticed two women in military uniforms; one wore it professionally, and the other was more casual. This isn't something I can deal with right now. I was close to sneaking back out when a pair of arms wrapped around my neck.

_"Not thinking of just leaving us, hm, General?"_ asked a woman behind me; Rokubi. Before I could mutter a response, I was pulled back to her table by Hachibi. There weren't many customers inside the joint at such a late hour, but the males around us seemed ready to give in to their physical desires. These two must have been here for a while. My platoon often has this effect around men, but they'll only express their feelings with me.

_"Rokubi, Hachibi, let's not do this,"_ I groaned at the divas. _"I just came from home. Shichibi, Ichibi, Yonbi, and Sanbi almost sexually assaulted me. Had Nibi and Gobi been awake, I think my retreat would have been impossible. But since they were out cold, I was able to flee and came here because I got hungry."_

Rokubi smiled and offered me her half-eaten cheese burger, which I graciously took a bite out of.

_"I don't blame them; we just really miss you, sir,"_ said Hachibi, bumping her shoulder with mine. _"In fact, if you weren't eating, and had we been in a more private place, I may just do the same. I doubt Rokubi would object. It's been too long, General."_

I sighed and swallowed my food.

_"I miss you guys too, but I have other priorities now. My relationship with my girlfriend is both important and serious. She was feeling pretty insecure today, when you lot showed up,"_ I said. Rokubi and Hachibi pouted.

_"Sorry, but please make time for us too,"_ said Rokubi, encasing her hand on one of mine. _"General, I think it's safe to say that we've all fallen for you, and you know that. I know your girlfriend is important to you but you're important to us too. We can't help but to feel this way."_

_"She's right,"_ said Hachibi. I can't believe I'm hearing this from my second-in-command. Hachibi has the most self-control out of my Eight Tails, and yet it's come down to this. The long-haired brunette took my other hand in hers as well; the earlier cheese burger lay forgotten on the table, next to two boxes of fries.

_"It's been hard without you, General. Missions have kept us busy but it's ultimately not the same without you,"_ she said. I could swear she sniffled back there.

_"We can't stop you from staying in Japan, General, but give us some attention since we're here too. You may have trained us to be deadly soldiers, but know that we're women too. All women have needs and we're no different."_

Simultaneously, their hands clasped mine. I groaned and sighed. They're giving me the puppy-dog pout. I never was able to resist that.

_"Fine,"_ I gave in. Hachibi and Rokubi beamed at me as I broke from their hold and scarfed what remains of Rokubi's cheese burger. I also stuffed some fries in my mouth. "Call ja oshers. We're gonna shee a movie at my playshe, jusht the nine of ush."

_"Oh you're so cute!"_ Rokubi childishly pinched my cheeks. Hachibi flipped out her phone and sent a quick text to the others. Almost instantly, I received a text from Ichibi and Yonbi, both saying 'Really?!' It made me smile a bit on the inside. I genuinely missed my soldiers.

When my free dinner was finished, I walked out of the joint with the two soldiers behind me, jumping with joy. In minutes, we were back at my place. Ichibi, Nibi, Sanbi, Yonbi, Gobi, and Shichibi were seated at the couch in front of my flat plasma screen, each one wearing more comfortable clothing than their military uniforms. And when I say comfortable, I mean almost nothing.

They have enough clothing on to appear decent, but not enough to walk out in broad day light without getting unnecessary glances from the male population.

Popcorn, drinks, and other snacks were available, as well as a spot in the center of the couch, reserved for me. Ichibi and Hachibi cuddled close to me. The others got as close as possible. Shichibi played the movie when we were all ready.

_"General, it's good to have you back,"_ said Gobi, her long, silver hair loosely fallen on my left leg.

_"I feel the same, Gobi,"_ I told her, patting her head. _"And regarding my title, since we're not currently on duty, just call me Naruto."_

The eight women gasped but quickly recovered. I believe this is the first time I've given them permission to refer to me as anything other than "sir" or "General."

_"Yes, Naruto,"_ they said at once. _"We won't tell Miss Ino anything. Tonight, you belong to us."_

Crap… I wonder if they rehearsed that. In either case, I really hope none of this reaches Ino's ears. Though I'm still technically keeping my promise, if she walks in on this, she would never forgive me. Still, I owe this to my soldiers. I left them abruptly, without any word as to where I would be. The only one who knew I returned to Japan was Bee. The girls must have gotten to him and forced him to spill the beans. While they'll never use sexual tactics with any other man but me, their talents in torture and interrogation are unparalleled.

Sometimes I think I taught them too well. They'd be quite an effective ANBU unit, if given the chance.

_"Hm? You're burning up, sir,"_ said Ichibi. Indeed, sweat was falling off of me.

_"Too many… woman parts…!"_ I managed to let out. Ichibi looked down, noticing her bosom pressed against my shoulder. The young woman giggled and snuggled closer.

_"You're too innocent, Gener- um, Naruto,"_ she said. _"Eight beautiful women around you and your composure remains. Normal men would have given up and had their ways with us a long time ago, though that will never happen. Even if you have a girlfriend, my feelings for you are the same. I love you, General; we all do."_

_"Ichibi, you ladies will be the end of me some day."_

_"Don't be like that,"_ said Yonbi, who sat beside my right thigh. Her soft hands rested on my abdomen. _"We'll give our lives to protect you without a second thought, sir. You are too important for any of us to lose. As always, we're at your disposal."_

The other women nodded.

_"I don't mind sharing with Miss Ino,"_ said Shichibi. _"But look at us too, okay? Though it will always be an option, we don't have to get hot and heavy if you don't want to. Just like this is enough."_

_"Shichibi, all of you, you're something else. I go AWOL and still you find your way back to me. Sorry I left without saying a word,"_ I said, trying to ignore the fact that her breasts were on the opposite side of Yonbi's hands. Shichibi's hands were rested on my left pectorals. The seventh tail smiled and pecked the side of my cheek. Immediately, the others did the same to every corner of my face. They're just being affectionate, so I can't punish them.

_"Hey, none of this when Ino is around, got it?"_ I asked. They nodded at once. In return for their kisses, I did the same for them. My lip kisses are only for Ino now, but that shouldn't stop me from returning their affections every once in a while. They giggled as my kisses connected with their cheeks or foreheads.  
Any man would kill for what I've got here, but I wouldn't give them up to anyone, now that I think about it.

I've tried setting them up with other men, during my time in the corp. but they refused each one, no matter the quality of the candidate. They don't mind that I have a girlfriend either. Nothing is awkward between us. They're as understanding as they are deadly. Now I feel pretty bad for wanting to give their attention to other men. They genuinely love me and are unwilling to part with me. They even sacrificed their military careers to be with me. That kind of devotion doesn't exist anywhere else.

Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

* * *

**Well, there's the latest installment. Some of you may be wondering why I'm now picking up on Naruto's time with the U.S military, and what gives this chapter any sort of significance. That will be explained on chapter 7, or chapter 6 if you guys use a bit of imagination, as well as putting two and two together.**

**Also, I only did some light research regarding military terms and ranks - for the mere purpose of being able to write this chapter and story without sounding like a complete and utter moron. I don't know or have anyone on speed dial who has any personal experience with the military, so I apologize if I get some things wrong. The next few chapters will also be U.S military-related, so be prepared for that. Um... what else...**

**Just to clarify, the eight military women, mentioned in this chapter, are not Jinchuuriki. Their demon spirits were reincarnated, taking the form of a human. They have no biju powers, whatsoever; they are purely, 100% human... for now. I might jumble with a few ideas relating to this, but I can't say anything for sure just yet. So, for now, they're human.  
**

**Lastly, chapter 6 will take some time to release. I'm going to write a short story, as per someone's request. For confidentiality purposes, I can't reveal this person's FF username, but I can tell you it's one of my reviewers. For which story, that I can't say either.  
**

**Uh... I think that's all I needed to say.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Oh god… it's finally done. I must have written this chapter a dozen times, just trying to get it right. After posting "The Next Sage," I figured I should start with chapter 6 of this story. I had some notes down for it and started, but ended up hating it soon after and started over from scratch. This cycle continued several times, every other day or so, until I managed to properly pour my thoughts so that things would work out the way I had planned.**

**According to my friend, who was beside me as I wrote some of the failed attempts for chapter 6, my reactions to said failures were priceless. She recorded them via iPhone and couldn't help but to show our friends. For example, the second attempt & reread:**

**"What the… why would I write that? Ino wasn't supposed to – hold on, why did Naruto – ARGH LKJASKSJDFAASF!" *insert more incoherent things here***

**Needless to say, I think I'm going to detach myself from them for a while.**

**Ugh, I feel like such a failure. This chapter should have been released a week after my most recent one-shot, and yet it was pushed back this long. Sorry guys. And if you think something is off with this chapter, PM me or leave it in a review.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 6: The Second Date**

***NOTE* I don't know the Admiral's name (you'll see who it is, or maybe you already know), so I just made one for him. Though, it isn't very far off from his bro's name.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

"Naruto, where are we going? It's been ten minutes since we left your motorcycle," said Ino, walking almost aimlessly as I directed her from her shoulders. A black blindfold was strapped around her head, covering her eyes.

It's been a little over a week since my platoon arrived in Japan, and now we're on our way back for a little visit – some of them anyway. I own a jet, stored at an empty hangar near my house. Unfortunately, it's only a private jet and isn't very large. It can fit five people at best. That being, my squadron drew lots for who would be coming with me. Ichibi, Yonbi, and Hachibi were the winners of the little contest. I decided to bring Ino with me. I figure she'd want to come along too.

While my girls are visiting, I might as well see what the new Major General wants. It can't really have anything to do with Russia and blue prints for some kind of weapon. Last I heard, the two countries are at peace.

I sighed, looking to the back of my girlfriend's head.

Ino has been a bit edgy since my platoon arrived, and with good reason. I suppose any girlfriend would be once they witness eight young women putting the moves on their man… in front of them. It's cute that she's jealous, though; it shows she cares, but I already know that. She may also feel intimidated, possibly. Ichibi is the youngest in my squad, at 22 years old, and has the body of a super model. It's not to say Ino isn't equally attractive, but she feels as though each of them has more to offer me than she does.

She said so, herself, and it's eating away at her.

I heard the dismay in her voice and the depression that followed, the day she told me. It's because of her uneasiness that I decided she should tag along. I don't want her feeling or thinking she has to compete with any of them for my attention.

_"Are you sure this is a good idea, sir?"_ asked Ichibi, moving up to my ear to whisper. _"A non-U.S citizen, foreigner no less, will be setting foot on our base. Does she even have a passport?"_

_"I have everything she needs in this back pack," _I said to my subordinate, referring to the black leather back pack strapped on my shoulder. Did she really think I wouldn't have brought my girlfriend's necessities? Just who does she think I am?

"Um, what are you guys talking about?" asked Ino. "Are we almost there yet? Where are we going anyway?"

"Ta da!" I cheered, removing the blindfold from her head. Ino's eyes flickered, getting used to the sunlight. The first thing she saw was a white jet. It was the only one in the hangar as it's the only jet I own. I thought of getting a few more but couldn't find a reason to do so. One is enough.

Ino turned to me with a puzzled look.

"Is that a jet? You own a jet?" she asked as I gave a nod.

"Correction, I own a jet and a hangar," I said proudly. Ino's jaw fell. "I told you I'd take you on another date, didn't I? Well, we're going to America."

The blond recomposed herself after the initial shock, turned to the jet, then back at me.

"When you said we'd be going on a date, I didn't think it would be as grand as this," she said. I rolled my eyes, thinking back on our first date.

"When I asked you out for the first time, did you think our first date would go the way it did?" I asked. Ino sighed in defeat but smiled. "I took the liberty in packing some clothes for you, since we'll be there for a week."

"Did you plan his out?" she asked. "This one-week vacation is all too synonymous with the school closing down for general maintenance."

"The General doesn't plan anything out," Yonbi said bitterly, hands to her hips, clad in cargo jeans. "He simply does things and they magically fall into place."

"Thanks for the load of confidence," I groaned. Yonbi flipped a complete 180 and happily threw her arms around my neck, effectively pissing off Ino, who tore the military personnel off of me.

"I don't suppose they're coming with us, will they?" she asked, almost mimicking Yonbi's sour attitude. I do wish they could get along somehow. They'll be seeing a lot of each other, after all. Before I could answer, my second-in-command cut me off.

"We are, but only for business purposes," said the woman, climbing the stairway to the jet. The rest of us followed. Yonbi manned the controls with Hachibi as the co-pilot. Ichibi, Ino, and I occupied some seats in another room.

The interior of the jet is nothing like a royal jet of England, but it doesn't look too bad either. A red carpet decorated the floor. There were polished wooden tables, bolted on the floor, for our convenience. Like many private jets, the seats aren't positioned as vertical rows but as horizontal columns, much like benches in a basketball stadium. On one side of the tables are the benches bolted to the wall of the jet. On the other side is a bolted mahogany chair with a leather cushion for sitting.

Before Ichibi could get comfortable, a simple click from my tongue got her standing and groaning. She stepped into the changing room on the other end of the jet and came out, a couple of minutes later, in a maid's outfit.

When other people are around, aside from her military sisters and me, Ichibi tends to hide her feminine qualities. That being, the maid outfit didn't work out too well for her. Unfortunately, I'm not really one for male waiters. A leather-woven black bunny-ear headband crowned the top of her head. A low-cut, red, silk shirt with frills on the edges of the long sleeves housed her fair torso. The shirt hung low, past her hips, but stopped on her upper thighs. A few inches between her white stocking-clad legs was a pair of toned, muscular thighs. A pair of white, heeled-shoes was worn on her feet.

Had there been a pervert on this jet, he or she would be laying in a pool of their own blood.

"This was the only outfit in the maid closet… are you fucking kidding me?" she asked, a vein popping on her forehead as the jet took off. Hachibi stepped out of the cockpit and immediately noticed her comrade's outfit.

"That's…" she paused, looking to me, attempting to recompose herself after a mild brain-fart. "Nice choice, General,"

I scratched the back of my head.

"I could've sworn I had other outfits, but I'm not sure Ichibi would have liked any of them more than this one," I said with a chuckle, turning to my sultry-dressed subordinated and passed a nod. The former one-tail demon rolled her eyes, entered the kitchen next to the dressing room, and emerged with a tray of two plates of steaming teriyaki chicken with fried rice and two glasses of water. She served it on the table Ino and I sat across to and made her way to the cockpit with Hachibi and Yonbi.

"So this is why you didn't want me to have breakfast this morning," said Ino, helping herself with a portion of the meal. "Brunch on a private jet, served by a sexy maid, and now we're flying to America for a date? What do you want, Naruto?"

"Nothing; what makes you think I want anything in return?"

"Well, normal boyfriends don't do this sort of thing, even rich ones," she said. I thought about that for a moment, gauging its accuracy.

"I guess. Fine, there is something I want," I replied. Ino groaned softly. I took her hands into mine as she swallowed her second helping. "I need you to get along with my subordinates. They're like family to me and you'll probably be seeing more of them from now on."

The blond sighed at that.

"I don't know, Naruto," she shook her head slightly. "This past week, I haven't been getting much sleep. I keep wondering what they might be doing to you at your place. I know you'll always be faithful but they don't seem to have much self-control."

"They miss me, that's all," I assured her. "I found them and banded them together as sisters. They look up to me as more than just a superior-"

"I know, I get it. I shouldn't be worried but I'm not used to this yet," she said, squeezing my hands more firmly. "I told you before; they're all really beautiful and talented. I just feel there's more they can offer you than I can."

"And I told you not to worry about that. The only one I want is you, okay?" I said. Ino nodded a few times, though I'm not sure she believes me entirely.

"Oh this is pathetic," said Ichibi, walking in on us. Hachibi and Yonbi were beside her. Since the jet is still in the air and not falling below the clouds, I can safely assume my motor-vehicle expert has set the controls on auto-pilot. She turned to her surrogate sisters, then walked to sit beside Ino.

"When we won the General's little contest on who gets to tag along, we also decided on doing something for his girl," she said. Ino raised a brow, as did I. "We've been watching you this past week, mainly Sanbi and Nibi. According to them, you lack a spine."

"Excuse me?" asked Ino, frustration in every syllable of her words.

"I think my Japanese is pretty accurate so far," she countered. "My sisters and I are going to… educate you."

"Did the General tell you that his first time was with you?" asked Yonbi, sitting on the opposite side of her sultry-dressed sister. "He doesn't lie, but his technique in bed was strangely satisfying, wasn't it?"

"Wait, how do you even know this?" she asked, turning to the vehicle-expert. I found myself slowly inching away from the women as the tension around us heated up, knowing full well where this was going.

"While it's true that he didn't stick his thing inside anyone but you, he's had lots of practice with pleasuring women," said Yonbi, licking her lips. I rolled my eyes, recalling the times we would 'practice' together when not on missions. It's not like they let me do anything else but satisfy their animalistic desires. "Let's just say that while his penis may have been a virgin until he met you, his fingers, lips, and everything else wasn't."

Ino glanced to me. I gave a pained nod.

"Relax, he didn't lie to you. He just didn't tell you everything," said Hachibi. "What my sisters are trying to say is, it's hard to please a guy like him. You may think you're doing an adequate job, but he just doesn't want to hurt your feelings."

"What are you getting that?" asked Ino.

"This is going to be a long flight," said Yonbi. "We're going to teach you the same techniques we taught your boyfriend. If you can satisfy him, like truly satisfy him, it may even help your ego when you think about us."

Ino was speechless.

"To be honest, we're not all that different," she said, unbuttoning Ino's blue blouse. "While we may have military training and certain specialties, you get to lead the normal civilian life with the boss. In many ways, we envy you. We're the ones jealous of you."

"Look, we know why you're on the edge when we're around," said Ichibi, her hand crawling up Ino's skirt. "But you have to loosen up. Boys don't like a stressed girl. The boss just doesn't know how to tell you."

"N-Naruto?" said Ino. Before I could answer, Hachibi yanked me up from my chair and shoved me to the floor. Ino didn't even look like she was retaliating. Ichibi flashed a wink at me. Immediately, I knew why my girlfriend wasn't so hostile to the two women who were sexually assaulting her. Some sort of muscle-relaxing formula must have been included in her meal. It's a cheap trick, but I'm the one who taught them to do that.

"Don't worry, boss, Ichibi didn't put anything on your food," said the tech-hacker. "Also, unlike the games we used to play together, we won't be the ones doing anything to you. We're going to teach your girlfriend how to press your buttons. You know, the way you taught us."

My shoulders fell as quickly as my hope for peace, faster than a stone would fall in an ocean.

"Oh shit…" I found myself groaning.

Yonbi and Ichibi removed themselves from a heavily panting Ino, who quickly mounted me, her legs straddled on my thighs. She was half-naked; most of her clothes were loosened but not completely removed. Hachibi whispered into her ear. Ino nodded, unable to fight the drug coursing through her system. The drug, whatever it is, seemed to have sharply reduced her inhibitions. A pink blush covered her cheeks as she proceeded with removing my red polo.

When the shirt was thrown to some random direction, my muscular torso was revealed in all its glory. Ichibi made it her turn to whisper into the blond's ear. Ino licked her lips as she looked down to me, her hands taking mine and placed them atop her thighs. Her thin, black stockings resonated with warmth that ran through the rest of her body.

"This girl is a natural," said Yonbi. "But I guess none of this is new to her since they do this sort of thing frequently."

"Actually, we don't. Ino has certain boundaries on me," I said.

"I'm sorry about that, Naruto," Ino panted, her eyelids have closed. "You have your own needs and all I've done is stop you from being happy."

"Um, well, I mean it's not so ba- mmph!" Ino's lips sunk into mine. Her soft and warm bosom touched my rough exterior. The blond picked herself up and smiled at me.

"Throughout this vacation, there are no boundaries. You can do whatever you want with me," she said sweetly. "I want to learn more about you, Naruto. I want to know what your subordinates know."

"That's the drug talking," I said, almost disappointed. Ino shook her head.

"Not really. I set the boundaries because I was afraid," she admitted. Could there have been truth serum in that drug? "I was afraid of what might happen if we go all the way all the time. To be honest, I want us to go at it all day and night without stress. I want you to make me yours whenever the urge gets to you."

"Ino…"

"But I don't want to be afraid anymore. I know you'll take responsibility if something happens, won't you?" she asked. I nodded without a second thought, though mentally shrugging at the dangerous 'r' term. Just then, she frowned. "Don't nod about something like this. I want to hear you say it."

"I'll take responsibility," I said to her. Ino smiled as she bent down to kiss me again.

* * *

As the jet landed, arriving at its destination, I quickly recomposed myself. I lost track of how many hours Ino and I spent just pounding away at each other. It was fun, for sure, but now I'm exhausted. It's a good thing I stashed a lot of condoms in this jet or there would be problems.

It's nice how willing Ino was, but also somewhat strange. I'm not used to her being so open-minded with sex. She even accepted every single one of my perverted requests, be it trying a different position, using hot candle wax, or asking for fellatio, she agreed to them all. I've gotta remember to ask Hachibi just what was in that drug.

As soon as my clothes were back on me, a simple camo jacket with my name on the left breast segment, a pair of matching trousers and brown leather boots, I stepped down the descending metal stairs of the jet only to meet with several military personnel. In front of them was a tanned man with round, black shades, and sleek dark blond hair combed back. He looked to be in peak physical condition, standing a few inches over me. His long sleeves were rolled up, showing muscles on his muscles.

The tanned officer approached me and held his hand out. I returned the respect by shaking his hand, but my hand never reached its destination. The man reeled his muscular hand and jumped back, forming a very lousy pose. He and Lee would get along swimmingly.

_"The Brigadier is back, no need to slack, he'll whip us to shape with a rattatatack!" _he said, taking out a pen and notebook to jot it all down. The personnel behind him looked away in embarrassment. Some things just don't change, no matter how much time passes.

_"Good to see you too, Bee,"_

_"Major General to you, little boy," _he snapped back. I rolled my eyes and turned to my subordinates, who were still on the jet.

"Ichibi, Yonbi, get my back pack and see to it that Ino's papers check out. Give her a tour around the base afterward. I leave her in your hands for now. Hachibi, come with me."

"Yes sir!" they said. Ino walked down the stairs and flashed me a smile. I wonder if the drug is still in her system. Ichibi and Yonbi took her away. Hachibi, in her military uniform, stood beside me as the jet's stairs ascended. She brandished a remote from her pocket. With a press of the button, the jet's automated lock system triggered.

_"Nice to see you back on American soil, Captain Hachibi," _said a blond woman who stood next to Bee. Her plainly-combed locks fell straight from her head. Her stoic expression and silent attitude often made me wary of her. On top of that, she'd often enter a fit of rage when she catches someone looking at her large bust. Then again, it's not like she put much effort in hiding them. She could at least button up that jacket, but I suppose pressing two enormous jugs of fat would be quite painful.

My second-in-command placed a hand on her hip.

_"Unfortunately, this is a temporary visit, Captain Samui," _she replied. I looked to the taller man, whose eyes hadn't left mine.

_"Nevertheless, Brigadier," _she said, looking to me. _"Your arrival has been expected. The Admiral wishes to see you."_

_"Admiral?" _I asked, wondering who it could be. _"You can't mean-"_

_"Yes, he took the seat some time ago, during your absence," _she said. My shoulders fell at that as Hachibi and I followed them out of the hangar and into the main building. If _that _man is the admiral, I shudder to think what he would want with me. I wonder if it's that recruit training thing that the girls came to me about, when we were at Ino's house. Is that really all right? I'm not sure I even know proper military protocols anymore.

I walked behind them passively, not even caring to glance at the underlings who shot a glance at me. Many of them are probably surprised that someone their age or younger is walking on even grounds with their precious Major General. Some of them glanced to my subordinate, a mistake that may cost them their lives if they don't look away.

Hachibi's figure is about the same as Samui's; fair skinned, curvaceous, and busty. Some thought of them as sisters, once upon a time. However, this was proven wrong due a blood test from the two. Besides, Samui has blue eyes; Hachibi has hazel eyes to match her brown hair.

"Stupid horny boys…" she said. I chuckled at her reaction to all the staring.

"It can't be helped, you're quite the looker," I commented

"Only you can say that, sir, and live," she said. "I'll be honest; the admiral is too lenient with these new recruits."

_"Nice Japanese, Captain, but while on American grounds, please speak English," _said Samui, not even turning to look at her.

_"Apologies, I didn't know we had a rule against foreign-speak on this base," _Hachibi spat.

_"Got none o'that, Cappy," _said Bee. I sometimes wish he would talk like a normal person. _"Just fo' - a bit o' - respect, yo."_

_"Um… excuse me, sir?" _asked the brunette.

_"Never mind him," _I said, hands to my pocket. _"He raps while he talks. The only ones who understand him are his subordinates, me, and his brother."_

_"I can sometimes understand him, but it's mostly a blur, General," _she said. Just then, a wave of whispers exploded around us.

_"Did you hear what that chick said? The guy she's following is a General? No way!"_

Hachibi ceased her walking and grabbed onto my shoulder. She turned to face the new recruits and other lower officers. Samui and Bee paused to see what was going on.

_"This is Brigadier General, Naruto Uzumaki VIII. Show some respect!" _she commanded.

_"Yes ma'am!" _they saluted, lining up beside each other against the walls of the hallway. I let out a sharp whistle.

_"Are they your subordinates, Hachibi?"_

_"Some of them, I recognize, sir, but not all of them. Still, it's hard to believe none of them know about you. Their officers should have informed them," _she said. I looked to every saluted cadet.

_"At ease," _I said. Some of them gulped as they relaxed themselves. _"I apologize for suddenly appearing like this but I am, indeed, your commanding officer. While I don't require as much respect towards me as my subordinate does, I suggest doing as she says unless you want to answer to her."_

_"Yes sir!" _they said.

_"Right, then, let's get going," _I said, moving behind the brunette and led her from the shoulders. Bee and Samui resumed their pace. Hachibi shivered at my touch for a moment. _"Is something wrong?"_

_"No sir," _she shook her head. _"I just miss being around you, that's all. I wish things would go back to the way they used to be."_

_"What? You mean when I constantly bossed you girls around? That doesn't sound like a nice past to revisit."_

_"True, but it had its rewarding moments," _she said softly, placing a hand on top of my left. _"When the time comes for you to return to Japan, just don't forget to write to us every now and then."_

_"There's no need for that," _I said, smiling from ear to ear. _"I realized how much I missed you and the others, Hachibi. That being, I wouldn't mind if you all stayed at my place for as long as you want."_

The young woman blushed.

_"Do you mean that, sir?"_

_"Well, you had strict orders from the Major General, right? On top of that, you, and the others are very precious to me. I wouldn't have it any other way and I won't take no for an answer," _I said to her. Hachibi smiled, leaning her cheek to my hand. A single tear fell from her hazel eyes, touching my fingers.

_"That makes me happy, but what about Miss Ino? She might be upset when she learns we'll be staying with you forever."_

_"She'll come around. You're my family, Hachibi, all of you… in a weird sort of way," _I said, scratching the back of my head. A toothy grin was plastered on my face. We shared a bit of a snicker from that comment. _"Sure, none of you fail to make seductive passes at me but I still consider you family. You're always welcome in my home."_

_"Thank you, General," _she sighed. _"This is another thing I missed about you. Whenever I'm depressed, you always know what to do and say to make me feel better."_

_"No problem. From now on, I'll always be around when you need me. I'm sorry to have left you all in the first place. I'm hoping you'll forgive me for that. I had a lot of things going on at the time."_

_"You'll always be forgiven. Aside from my surrogate sisters, you're my most precious person, sir," _she said. I couldn't help but feel better in the inside. Leaving my subordinates was one of the hardest things I ever had to do and to be forgiven so easily… it's more than I deserve.

_"Here we are," _said Samui, stopping in front of a wooden door with the letter 'A' tagged on the upper center. The captain turned to us. She cocked up a brow. _"I won't even ask."_

_"Sorry, just catching up with my subordinate," _I said, letting go of her.

_"He wishes to see you in private, Brigadier," _said the blond. I glanced to Hachibi and nodded her off. The brunette turned to leave with Samui and Bee. I took a deep breath before opening the door. Suddenly, a broad man jumped at me with a flying kick. I raised my arms to block the kick, but the sheer force of the blow managed to knock me back. Hachibi turned to me, ready to intervene, but was stopped by Bee.

_"Not bad, kid, not bad at all. Seems Japan hasn't softened you at all," _said the towering man. I massaged my forearms, trying to hide my pain.

_"Admiral, huh? Doesn't suit you at all, A," _I said as he pulled me to his room and closed the door. His room was circle-shaped, unlike the usual square ones. As with any other high ranking officer in the military, medals decorated the place.

Although a tad taller, his appearance was very similar to Bee's but without the sunglasses. Also, unlike every other military personnel in this place, myself excluded, he was clad in an orange loose collared shirt with green Hawaiian tree patterns, and khaki shorts with mainland flip-flops. I guess, being the big boss of this place, no one really questions his intentions – much less his choice in attire.

He made his way to his desk, grabbed a manila folder, and tossed it at me.

_"What, no foreplay? Right down to business without even a little small talk," _I grunted, pulling out the contents of the folder. The profile of a red-haired woman was the first thing I noticed as I scanned through the papers. A name caught my eye, resulting in a gulp.

_"I ain't asking much, boy. All I need you to do is shadow a cadet, Kushina something-something. She's been causin' trouble within the barracks," _he said. Kushina? My mother? Why here of all places? _"Actually, someone else volunteered for the job; Lieutenant Minato Namikaze. I want you to make sure the poor guy isn't killed. I hear bad things about that new cadet."_

This has got to be the greatest coincidence of all.

_"You'll find her at holding-cell 3-D. The lieutenant should already be there, waiting for you. I assume you remember where that is, Brigadier?" _he asked while shuffling through some documents.

_"So much for a war with Russia..."_

_"That was just to get you in here, kid," _he said, resting his legs atop his mahogany desk_. "What sounds more serious, a threat from another country that's armed with war heads, or babysitting some greenies?"_

_"I see your point. But one question, why me?"_

_"Easy. I don't want my little bro dying from some chick," _he said, pulling up my files. _"According to our information about you, you're the youngest but most effective officer in the corp., achieving the rank of Brigadier General at the age of 17. You were recommended by Bee, Samui, Darui, and Omoi. I ain't one to go against their word, kid. You were also part of a special super soldier program. You can use your training there to subdue this wretch if need be."_

After finishing scanning through the contents of the folder, I was given the green light to begin the mission forced onto me. At first, I was aggravated, being called to America when I specifically told them I had cut my ties with the military. Now I'm glad I came here. Who would've thought Kushina would be in America? As with the other coincidences so far, I had it in mind that she would also be in Japan.

As soon as I stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me, Hachibi approached from the side. Before she could say anything, I beat her to it.

_"What do you know about Lieutenant Minato Namikaze?"_ I asked, hands crossed behind me as I made my way to holding-cell 3-D. Hachibi followed closely behind.

_"He's fairly new around here, just graduated from Westpoint, top ten percent of his class, barely 25 years old, and easy on the eyes,"_ she said. I let out a chuckle.

_"Is that admiration I'm hearing?"_

_"Yes, but nothing more,"_ she defended. _"It's only because he reminds me of you; young and effective."_

_"I see. Hachibi, what do you think of a ninth tail? A Kyuubi?"_ I asked her. Frankly, the thought had been swimming in my head during my time in the military, after forming my eight-tail team.

Unfortunately, I don't know who the person is. Locating the Kyuubi's chakra is much more difficult for me than it was when I searched for the other eight. The fox's chakra, the last time I remember, felt too much like my own. It should be easy to find something like that but for the life of me, I just can't.

The captain halted. When I heard no footsteps coming from behind, I turned to her, whose eyes seemed glued to the marble floor.

_"If… if that's what you want, sir, I have no qualms,"_ she said. I took a step to her, trying to meet her eyes but she looked away. I cupped her cheeks with both hands. A moment later, she finally met my gaze. Immediately, she broke down.

_"It's already hard enough to get your attention, General, now that you have another woman in your life,"_ she sobbed. I knelt to support her, bringing her tear-jerking face to my chest. _"I know I can't stop you from recruiting another subordinate, but that's just one more person I have to quarrel with just to be with you."_

_"Hachibi…"_ I trailed off for a second, stroking her beautiful brown hair. Sometimes I wish I could just make shadow clones for her and the others. She's right when she said she has to fight for my attention. Having seven other women to fight for my attention must be hard, but now to also have to compete with Ino, especially with her strong feelings for me; it can't be pleasurable when I have to turn her down.

She's my first subordinate, the first of my Eight Tails. Obviously, her feelings for me would be stronger than the other seven. On top of that, I rely on her the most. The effect I have on her, especially turning my attention to another woman must be difficult to deal with on a day-to-day basis. If Ino's attention was towards another man, more than with me, I'd be devastated.

I can't believe I never thought this through. When I decided to start a relationship with Ino, the thought of the feelings of my eight underlings didn't even cross my mind and for that I feel awful. Here she is, my most trusted companion, weeping her eyes out because she can no longer handle the fact that she has to fight for my attention all the time. It was then that I noticed my hands coming together, my fingers extending to a cross formation. Before I knew it, my chakra started welling up inside me, raging like a hurricane.

Every time I met and recruited a reincarnated tailed beast, then trained them, a piece of me bonded with them. We shared times of peace, joy, frustration, and even rage. Our experiences together were bound to my soul, as if saved to a memory card when playing a video game. This happened once per tailed beast I recruited, for a grand total of eight separate "saved game files." I never could get the memories out of my system, not that I wanted to.

It's like I developed separate personalities as I bonded with each of them. When I sleep, I often get multiple voices in my head, each one reliving its moments with my subordinates. It's like they're clawing their way out of my soul, if that makes any sense. Since recruiting my final tail, Ichibi, and bonding with her as well, I've been trying to find a way to split my personalities. I can't be with them and focus on Ino as well. I love them all… equally.

I know my feelings should be focused on Ino, she's my girlfriend and I do love her.. But my subordinates are right when they said they've known me longer. I should love them more, but I don't and it's ripping me apart. I say they're my family and family should be more important than anything… so why don't I feel for them as much as I do for Ino?

Eventually, I managed to find a jutsu scroll, one of many that I packed with me before leaving the Leaf Village. It states a way to split the soul into multiple segments, similar to a shadow clone jutsu. Unlike shadow clones, however, the split souls will only focus on certain emotions and memories towards a certain person. I figured I could use that to split my personalities to accommodate to each of my subordinates, as well as Ino, at the same time.

Unfortunately, it's a forbidden jutsu. As with all other forbidden jutsus, this comes with a dire price. Splitting my soul eight times will permanently disable my ability to mold chakra. My body and ripped soul will be too weakened to tap into the elements that allow a person to generate and use chakra. I'll never be able to perform jutsus for the remainder of my existence.

Not only will I be splitting my soul, memories, and emotions for each of my subordinates, I'll also be creating eight new lives, essentially stepping on the altar of gods. Aside from being a permanently retired shinobi, I don't know what other repercussions there might be.

I looked to my hands, noticing they had formed the seals necessary for this jutsu – all but one seal. If I do that, and blaze my chakra, the forbidden jutsu will activate. Before I decide on anything, I should probably tell her, and the others, about my abilities as a shinobi. I don't want to hide anything from my underlings anymore. Resolved with my decision, I halted my chakra molding and opted to embrace Hachibi instead.

_"Hey, come on, I have to get to work now,"_ I said, helping her to stand. I wiped off some tears from her face_. "Return to our barracks at around 1900 hours. Make sure Ichibi, Yonbi, and Ino are there too. I have something I've been wanting to tell you."_

_"What is it? Just tell me now."_

_"I don't want to have to explain it more than once. For now, I'll only say that I might just grant your wish."_

_"My… wish?"_

_"Yeah,"_ I nodded. _"I'll be able to spend more time with you, just you. You won't have to worry about Ino, Ichibi, Yonbi, and the others. My attention will be all yours."_

_"I don't understand. You have a girlfriend, sir," _she said, confused. I rolled my eyes.

_"If I didn't have a girlfriend, and I asked you to be mine, would you?"_

_"In a heartbeat, General," _she said, blushing. _"But at 25 years of age, I'm old enough to be your big sister. It may not feel right for you. On top of that, my sisters will be angry with me."_

I made an internal chuckle at that comment. The old one here is me, not her. At 500-something years old, one would think I'd simply find someone my own age. Wait, that isn't so simple. Actually, it's probably impossible. There are only two people around, that I know of, who are close to my age-range, but thinking that way about them would give me nightmares for years.

_"If that's how you feel, then meet me at the barracks. What I have to say might come as a shock to you but I don't want to hide anything anymore. You deserve better than that. As for this mission, I have to go at it alone so find the others and tag along with them until then," _I said, kissing her forehead as I stormed out of the main building to meet my possible new recruit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Voice of the Wanderer 2: Eighteenth Wish**

**Naruto Fanfiction**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a single shred of Naruto**

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**Wow, this was a pretty long chapter. There were a lot of ifs and ends to deal with, mostly because I had a different idea for this chapter, but I think this one is better. There's a lot going on with this one, especially towards the middle-ish-end.  
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**As usual, PM me or leave it in a review if you find something inaccurate with this chapter that doesn't follow up with the previous ones, or that of this story's predecessor. I read through it twice or so, but I'm sure there's a few things I didn't catch. I want to look through it a bit more, but it's been a while since I released chapter 6, so I wanted to get this one out as soon as possible.  
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**Thanks for the patience, and the (hopefully) lack of death-thoughts towards me for holding this chapter as long as I did.  
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**Chapter 7: The Ninth Tail**

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I looked to the mission files again to reconfirm the location of the holding-cell.

Passing by one building after another, I kept my focus on 3-D until eventually locating it three blocks from the command center. I entered the structure and showed my mission files to the guards in charge of maintaining the inmates. A spiky-haired blond was seated on one of the many chairs in the lobby. Seeing his face is like seeing a ghost. Then again, I had the same reaction whenever I saw my reincarnated subordinates, peers, and teachers. The camo-clad soldier walked up to me and saluted.

_"Hello, you must be Brigadier General Naruto Uzumaki,"_ he said crisply. He doesn't look too far from the man I remember as Konohagakure's fourth and greatest Hokage. _"I am Lieutenant Minato Namikaze."_

I returned his salute with one of mine, then a handshake.

_"Good to meet you, lieutenant," _I said as the guard led me to cell 3-D. Minato followed behind me. _"Namikaze is a Japanese name, is it not?"_

_"Yes sir," _he said. _"My parents are of Japanese ancestry, but I was born in California. Most people tend to forget my ancestry because of my blond hair. Is it the same with you, general?"_

_"I'd like to think it wasn't because of my hair color, but it's often the case," _I answered. _"Anyway, my job is to watch over you as you shadow the new cadet; Kushina Uzumaki. I'll be evaluating your performance and overall capabilities in handling what seems to be, according to my information, a very rowdy newbie."_

_"Yes, about that. Her family name is Uzumaki, so is she a relative of yours?"_

I thought about that as we entered the elevator and didn't come up with an answer until we walked out.

_"No, Uzumaki is a common Japanese family name like Takahashi or Miyamoto," _I explained. I can't, very well, tell him my mother is younger than me. That would be senseless to anyone who doesn't know the truth about me. _"Keep in mind that I'll be focusing on your abilities as a soldier, lieutenant. I heard some good things about you."_

Minato let out a laugh.

_"I merely follow orders, sir, that's all," _he said as we arrived at the holding cells. From here, the guard left us with the assumption that I know my way around here just because I'm a general. Not wanting to look bad in front of my shadow, I turned to him.

_"Well then, soldier, lead on," _I ordered. The blond nodded and took lead, passing by metal door after metal door. I took a peek at some of the barred openings at the upper-center of the doors. The lights aren't even turned on. Are these inmates always deprived of light? What kind of operation is the Admiral running here?

Upon our arrival at 3-D, Minato knocked on the door twice. For a few seconds, there was no answer or any form of acknowledgement, from inside, that a means of communication was initiated. Another second later, two knocks came from the other side of the door. Minato cleared his throat.

_"Cadet Kushina Uzumaki, I am Lieutenant Minato Namikaze and I've been assigned to act as your shadow," _he said professionally. How humble of him to speak to a cadet in such a manner. I handed him the key to the holding cell, which was given to me by the guard who escorted us to this floor. Minato opened the cell door, allowing the cadet to step out. A red-haired woman in a tattered camo outfit walked out of the darkened room. After meeting Minato's blue spheres, hers met with mine.

Suddenly, my insides churned – as if something was stirring my guts with an egg beater. The feeling spread throughout every nerve in my body, every muscle, and every cell. Minato looked to me, noticing my uneasiness, then to Kushina. It was then that we both witnessed something even I wasn't expecting.

A see-through cloak of red chakra formed around the cadet's body. My eyes widened faster than her growing power. A red-wrapped chakra tail emerged from her behind. After the transformation, Kushina had let out a bestial roar that would put the king of the jungle to shame. Falling on all fours, her crimson-shaded slit pupils pierced into mine. Her fiery hair ignited with chakra, floating aimlessly as if submerged under water.

Before either of us could act, Kushina swept Minato to the side, knocking him out instantly as he crashed into the steel door of a holding cell. Thankfully, it was empty or its would-be inmate would have taken the opportunity to escape into the wind. The female beast's attention returned to me and tackled me through the brick wall behind, coming out into the open... in front of many soldiers.

"Hold on, fox cloak?" I asked myself, instantly realizing the spirit of the Kyuubi was reincarnated into the red-head. I stood up slowly, watching as the soldiers were tossed aside, like ragdolls, by the ferociously frenzied beast. "Well that makes sense; since I never died, there was nothing for the fox's spirit to be reborn into. It must have reincarnated… but something's not right."

I cursed at my unending string of misfortune. My platoon turned out the same exact way; the tailed beasts, from the past, reincarnated to form a new body. Their spirits were molded into flesh and bone, and their demonic power fueled their new bodies with ungodly strength and abilities. In a nutshell, they became humans with the powers they once held as tailed beasts.

When I found them, each one, I fought and buried their power using a sealing jutsu. Afterward, I proceeded with wiping their memory in order to remove whatever guilt plagued them as people who commanded demonic power. It wasn't my place to do any of that, but I couldnt just leave them to suffer as I did.

However, there's something different here that didn't turn out the way the other eight did. From what I remember, when reading through Konoha's old records, Kushina was the Kyuubi's host before me. If this phenomenon took place with the Kyuubi, why wasn't it the same for the others?

Why didn't the other eight reincarnate as or into their previous hosts? Could it have had something to do with the Akatsuki's extraction process? Kyuubi's spirit left my body on peaceful terms, whereas the other eight were forcefully pulled out and stored into a non-living container. I don't understand any of this, but that's the least of my concerns right now.

I have to get Kushina out of here before we end up destroying the place, or worse - our battle results in losing many military personnel. These people have families waiting at home, and I'll not endanger them with a burden that's meant for me and only me. Dealing with the tailed beasts is my problem. None of these soldiers need to lose their lives over something like this.

Thankfully, their attention was paid elsewhere for a moment, giving me enough to time to flare up some energy and form a single hand seal.

"Ninja Art: Flying Thunder God," I muttered quickly, syncing my voice to the explosion of my chakra as the Kyuubi and I vanished, appearing a few thousand miles from the military base - to my private jet hangar in Japan. If I was going oversees, I knew I'd need some kind of fail-safe in case something drastic happened. Currently: Ino has one, this hangar's parking spot for the absent jet has the second, and the third is located in my room at home.

As we landed on the cemented ground with a thud, I kicked the reddened beast in the abdomen, propelling it behind me. She broke her fall by flipping in the air and skid on the floor with her steel-like talons, slowing her momentum to an eventual stop. I stood up and entered a fighting stance as mother-dearest darted at me, refusing to hand out any precious breathing moments. Almost as soon as we clashed, hands to shoulders, my cell phone began to ring a familiar tone.

"Crap... not what I need right now," I said, kneeing the red-and-black monster in the gut, elbowed it behind its neck, and slammed both fists onto its back, leaping into the distance afterward. I conjured three shadow clones in the air and ordered them to hide behind some barrels several meters away from the combat scene. As Kushina began to recover, I picked up the still-ringing phone, plugged in an earpiece, and pocketed the communications gadget.

"Naruto, there was an explosion in the military base! Hachibi said it came from the holding cell that you were ordered to go to," she said quickly, her words-per-minute increasing dramatically over the seconds. As she continued, Kushina blurred to my side and smacked me with two of her four tails, knocking me to an old jet that I no longer used. "Ichibi and Yonbi went to investigate and- hey, what's going on? What's that crashing I just heard?"

"Not sure..." I grunted in pain, slowing standing as I pushed my hips forward to attempt a mending stretch on my joints. "It could be that old jet, or my spine cracking... wait, I'm standing up right and there's no pain. Spine's good."

"Old jet? Spine? You were at that explosion, weren't you? I'm coming right away!"

"I really doubt that's possible, at least right away," I grunted, running to the Kyuubi once more.

"What are you talking about? Hachibi can lead me there."

"I'm not in Ameri- oof!" I was cut off as a knuckle slammed into my cheek, but I held my ground and countered with a round house kick to the Kyuubi's jaw. As it was knocked to the side, I grabbed its tail and slammed it to the other side. "I'll have to call you back - very busy right now."

"Hey, what's going- General, tell me you weren't in that explosion!" Oh good, Hachibi is with her as I ordered.

"Can we do this la-" Mommy and I exchanged blows via high speed fists, shins, shoulders, and every other striking part of our bodies. "-ter? Damn... she's stronger than I thought-"

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" both women shouted through the phone. Before I could answer, Kushina got a lucky swipe on my breast pocket, where the phone was lodged onto, and slashed said device in half. I sighed for a very brief second before returning into the fight.

"Damn it..." I muttered, turning my head to the east. "Hey, is it ready yet?!"

"Just... another... second... and... GO!" shouted one of the shadow clones that I hid away. After a satisfying puff sound, nature chakra coursed through my body - hidden strength followed, and so did any hope I once had of bringing mother down.

In a flash of yellow, I blurred in front of her and swung my fist to her face. Kyuubi dodged the strike with ease, yanking her head back a bit, but was still hit square in the jaw via nature chakra and Frog Kumite. While her footing was lost, I dropped down and swept her ankles, causing her to fall to the ground. Before she hit the ground, my foot crashed into her chest, sending her flying to the roof like a missile. It's a good thing that this place is in the middle of nowhere, or else we'd attract way too much attention with all this crashing rattling.

As the fox-cloaked cadet came rushing back down, ready for round two, I was already pumped and equally ready to go. After a solid three seconds of staring each other down, our bodies blurred against each other, fists and claws flying, tearing apart the very fabrics of space that held this area together. As soon as one of her clawed swipes made contact with my torso, shredding through my camo jacket, one of my chakra-surged punches connected with her jaw, following a spinning heel kick to the same place.

The beast let out a bestial roar, moved quickly behind me, and slammed all of its current tails at my back, sending me propelling forward a few meters until I could stop myself via a fist plunged onto the ground. I spat some blood to the side and pulled my hand back up, resuming a fighting stance.

"Damn, even with Sage Mode, we're still barely evenly matched - possibly still in her favor," I muttered, listening to Kushina's constant wails and shouts. My eyelids narrowed, running through every option in my head, anything that would help me to win this battle faster before more tails emerge.

"Of course, there is..." I trailed off, dodging more of the demon monster's attacks. "There is still _that, _but it'd be a huge gamble at this point. Tch, more than five centuries and I'm no closer to fully controlling it than that silver-haired cyclops and..."

After blocking a punch from the beast, sending me back another meter or so, I formed a hand seal and molded some chakra. Another of my clones poofed away, leaving just one more. At this point, I have two sources of time pressing down on me; more tails emerging, and losing that last shadow clone to fuel my constant need for nature chakra. I have to end this now... I just wish it didn't have to be this way.

Speaking of, I might as well bring in _that _too. Having them both brought in to the playing field means I'm gonna feel this tomorrow morning; ached, bruised, and lots of explanation to Ino. But in order to beat the strongest of the tailed beasts, I'll have to bring out the big guns. Kyuubi isn't messing around, and he's taking over more and more of Kushina as this battle drags on. If I'm going to kick its ass, then I can't be holding anything back at all.

"Ninja Art: Release!" I called out, dispelling the sealing jutsu on my eyes. A surge of brief electricity coursed through my body, causing me to wince both eyelids - as if tasting a sour fruit for the first time in a while. Thankfully, the feeling left almost as soon as it came.

As both eyelids recovered and rose, the vision on said eyes were different from normal. I could see entrails of chakra, rather, chakra everywhere. The steel constructions, the clouds, the birds in the sky, the gale from the east and west, everything had was enveloped in a form of chakra... especially the blazing red creature in front of me.

"One day, before I die, I swear I'll master these gifts, Kakashi-sensei, Hinata..." I said to no one in particular, releasing a breath I wasn't aware I was holding; on my left eye was Obito Uchiha's, no, Kakashi-sensei's Sharingan, and Hinata Hyuga's Byakugan.

It was after I defeated Pain, just after the Akatsuki's infiltration was foiled. The lower half of Kakashi-sensei's body was buried in some ground, unable to move without completely caving himself in. He had an inch of life left, when I found him. Hinata was the same, having been impaled through the abdomen with one of Pain's metal rods that he practically crucified my hands with, during our fight.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_*Cough* *Cough*_

_"You actually did it, didn't you?" asked the dying man. I was at a loss for words, seeing the condition he was in. I was ready to pull him out when I found him, but he said he was running out of time anyway.  
_

_It all happened so fast, as he said. One moment, he was fighting one of the Pains, and next thing he knew was that the lower half of his body was crushed under debris and rubble from a destroyed structure. He couldn't feel his legs, feet, or even the hands that managed to share the fate of his lower body. And after all this, after all this pain, he still wore that smile on his lips.  
_

_"Kakashi-sensei..." I said. What else could I say? Everyone in the village is dead - the village itself is no more, just a pile of stone and dust. He and I are the only ones left, but the equation is about to lose one more number soon. I fell to my knees, no longer able to support myself. It wasn't out of exhaustion, but more of a loss of direction. My friends were my strength, this village was my home, and now both are gone.  
_

_"I don't know what to do, Kakashi-sensei... everyone is dead... I didn't beat Pain in time!" I wailed, tears bursting from their respective ducts.  
_

_"Then I'll tell you... what to do," he said, his breath getting hoarse. "You'll stand up and continue to live."  
_

_"What's the point?! Everyone is gone... everyone is-"  
_

_"Going to be right with you," he said as he pit the edge of his lip and molded some of his last bits of chakra. "Come on, Naruto, this is a team effort. I can't use my hands anymore, so you'll have to..."  
_

_I stood slowly, not sure where the sudden drive was coming from. I can complain and cry later. But for now, I might as well heed to the last wishes of my teacher. I swiped a droplet of his blood onto my hand, ran through a few seals, and summoned his faithful companion; Pakkun. The two looked to each other and nodded.  
_

_"You've been a great boss, Kakashi. I'd be honored to perform this one last service for you," said the small mutt as he turned to me. "Look, kid, I'm running on borrowed time here, so I'll need your cooperation without any backtalk."  
_

_"Wait... me too..." said a lavender-haired girl, crawling to us while leaving a trail of bloody mess on the ground. I looked to her, my heart sinking like a stone. The first person to sacrifice herself for me, the one who had always cheered me on. Looking only at her eyes, I knew her life force was rapidly leaving her. She would be joining the others soon enough. "Pakkun-san... please, I also want... him to have..."  
_

_"Yeah, I get it," said the mutt, helping the dying young woman to Kakashi's side.  
_

_"Pakkun... what-" I was interrupted as a few more dogs appeared in puffs of smoke. Everything was done so fast, so skillfully, that I had no idea what had happened until it happened. When the job was finished, the ninja hounds saluted to us and disappeared in a puff of smoke. There was a light pain spasm coming from my eyes and the sockets, but that wasn't the least of my concerns.  
_

_As far as my eyes could see, chakra enveloped everything. The sight was difficult to describe.  
_

_The cyclops-jonin coughed some blood out, as well as the Hyuga-heiress. Some of it oozed from the corner of their mouths, just as some slowly slid from my eye's sockets.  
_

_"Just as I was given a gift for becoming a jonin, I've given you the same gift for becoming a sage," he said. What's going on? Why are my eyes reacting this way?. "I've given you my Sharingan. I've copied the jutsus of everyone in this village, save bloodline limits of course. Every chakra-related technique, like Shikamaru's Shadow Strangle, every physical technique, like Lee's Leaf Hurricane, all of it is now a part of you."  
_

_"I know it doesn't compare to... Kakashi-sensei's left Sharingan, but I've... given you my right Byakugan," said Hinata, panting heavily, her own right eyelid closed and bleeding slightly. "Allow me to... see through the world's deception... for you. I meant what I said earlier... when I put my life on the line... for you; I do love you, Naruto... and that's why I... I want you to..."  
_

_*Cough* *Cough*  
_

_"Kakashi-sensei! Hinata-chan!"  
_

_"Live without regrets... Naruto. Don't be afraid... I'll... we'll... always be with... you," he said as his right eye closed shut and his irregular breathing pattern was slowed to an eventual halt. I looked to him; the fragments of chakra that burned in his body was now gone. Hinata joined him almost immediately after. With that, my two precious people, the only ones left, had gone and joined wherever the others are.  
_

_"KAKASHI-SENSEI! HINATA-CHAN!"  
_

**_END OF FLASHBACK  
_**

I haven't done much to make any of you proud of me, at least to my standards, but I know we'll see each other again. Just like in heaven, when Amber and Richard were getting married, I'll see you all someday and we'll talk stories for eternity. I'll tell Pervy Sage about my platoon of sexy soldiers, I'll tell to be patient with Shikamaru, I'll tell Lee how brightly my flames of youth burned until the end... and I'll tell you, Kakashi-sensei, how grateful I am to have had a teacher like you.

And most of all, Hinata... I'll-

*ROAR*

"Leaf Hurricane!" I called forth, sweeping the beast off its feet and sent it flying into the air. My head arched back, eying the flying body of my reincarnated mother. "I was having a moment back there, you ass!"

As Kushina ascended into the air, I summoned a shadow clone and knelt on all fours. The clone hopped on my back and did the same as we leaped after Kushina, spinning like drills.

"Fang Over Fang!" I said as both the clone and I rammed our drill-like claws and fangs at the beast, ripping the fox-cloak inch by inch before meeting it face to face in the air. As the clone slipped into a familiar stance, following my lead, my hands opened to palms, launching them on every chakra point the Byakugan would allow me to see. "This is from Hinata - Eight Trigrams: 128 Palm!"

I can see it all, the chakra pressure points on Kushina's fox-cloaked body. Everything, down to the last microscopic detail of flesh and muscle... Hinata's gift to me, as well as Kakashi's... I won't waste them. With both of these eyes activated, I only have about 15 minutes until my shadow clones are gone, and maybe 5 minutes after that, using my own chakra reserves. I have to end this as soon as possible.

As the Kyuubi recovered, standing on the ground slowly, I could see its chakra levels depleting but regenerating at a moderate pace. It's weakened now, but it'll be back to its old king-of-the-jungle-self in no time. I'm going to go all out, in this next quarter-hour.

Without waiting even a moment to catch its breath, the Kyuubi dug its claws into the ground and tossed a giant layer of concrete into the air. As it descended, the beast sliced them to smaller chunks, propelling each stone towards me. With the Sharingan reading Kyuubi's every move, I had already prepared a counter measure.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu," I spoke, grabbing a sheathed, one meter, blade from the air as it materialized from smoke. Two smaller puffs of smoke came right after the larger one; my tri-pronged kunais, the one located on this air base and the one hidden at my house. Looking at the familiar sword, I gave but a brief moment of silence to its previous owner before removing the steel from its cover. "Sasuke..."

As the rocks came, I expertly cut each of them down to smaller pieces before plunging said blade on the ground when the rocks were no longer a threat. I picked up both special kunai, one on each hand.

"Sage Art: Rasengan - Blade Form," I muttered, conjuring a whirlwind ball the short blade of one of the kunai, wrapping its vortex-like energy around the steel. "Sage Art: Chidori - Blade Form."

The chakra on my right hand fluctuated, crackling into sparks of lightning energy, as it seeped into the second kunai, forming a blade of electric proportion. Blue chakra waves spiraled around my father's kunai, enhancing its destructive power. Upon summoning and empowering both blades, two of my three clones returned to me, leaving one left - gathering nature chakra.

I stomped on the ground, causing the plunged sword to spring right up. I caught it with my mouth, locking it horizontally on my teeth, and suddenly wondered why having three blades, including one on my mouth, felt familiar. These days, I get a lot of ideas by watching television. I can easily copy any technique using the Sharingan, but learning on my own, through modern means, just seems a lot more fun. I know this three-blade style came from an anime... I remember pirates and some great treasure... whatever. Now's not the time to think about that.

The Kyuubi narrowed its eyes, descending to the ground. I smirked, watching it let its guard down as it marveled my combat weaponry.

I blurred to its face and swung the Rasengan-kunai at its torso, slashing a clean cut and removed some of the fox-cloak from its host. It countered a clawed-hand at me, but was parried by the Chidori-blade. I followed the defensive gesture with a spinning roundhouse kick, to its cheek. Before the impact of my attack could send it flying, I sliced two of its chakra tails with the sword on my mouth. The Kyuubi face-planted on the ground, its power greatly diminished.

As it recovered and rushed me once more, I tossed the Rasengan-kunai at its head, which was easily dodged by tilting the beast's cheek, not even grazing the fox-cloak... but I was counting on that. As the kunai passed by the reddened monster, its claws nearing me, I blurred atop the kunai and the Kyuubi, caught the kunai with my occupied hand, while the other had a furiously spinning Rasengan aimed at the backside of the Kyuubi.

When the miniature typhoon clashed onto the raging beast, causing it plummet to the ground, I raced after it.

Leaving no time for thought, I rushed at the fallen monster and kicked it up in the air. As it took bounced up, I took the opportunity slice to and dice every inch of the fox's cloak that wrapped around its host until there was nothing left of the reddish-black chakra layer. I noticed the fox trying to recover the cloak, regenerating after such a brutal attack, but this battle ends now.

Utilizing the last shadow clone, I slammed my fists on her shoulders, pinning the unconscious Kushina to the ground, and raised one of her eyelids to gaze into my lone Sharingan. Her body was still squirming, a sign of the Kyuubi trying to regain control, but Kushina's body had reached its limit. Any more direct influence from the Kyuubi would cause her body to be torn apart. I know that feeling and I'll be damned if she goes through that any more than she has to.

I clenched my teeth as blood trailed down my reddened eye. Focusing the last bits of my chakra, channeling it to my eye, I formed a single hand seal to put the Kyuubi's spirit to sleep. However, just as the jutsu was to be executed, a sudden burst of red chakra enveloped Kushina's body - quite possibly a defense mechanism on the fox's behalf. It swung its leg at my side, which was evaded in time, and jumped out of the scene - from one rooftop to another until it could not longer be seen.

"Oh no you don't," I said to myself, removing the metal blade from my mouth as I clasped my hands together. "Byakuga-"

Suddenly, my body doubled over as pain ran through every vein inside me. I fell to a knee, panting heavily. I'm completely depleted of chakra; I have enough to remain conscious, but I can't perform any jutsus for a while.

"Son of a... why now?" I asked. My once towering capacity of chakra is now matched by normal men. I don't have the storage I once had when the Kyuubi was in me. But even so, I can't give up now. If the fox is let loose, Japan would be leveled to the ground, in minutes, and it'll be on me.

I pushed my legs to move, but nothing was working. Damn it, body, move! I can't stay here, at a time like this, when the fox is free to do as it pleases.

"Looks like the little shit needs some help," a voice called to me from behind. I didn't have to look in order to tell who those poisonous words belonged to. "The old scythe ain't here, though. I feel naked without it."

"What are you... doing here, Hidan?" I asked him, trying to move for the umpteenth time. Before I could expect a response, a round ball was shoved into my mouth. Immediately, chakra filled my body. I stood quickly, looking to the sleek-haired immortal. He extended a hand to me - a pair of rectangular-rimmed glasses lay on his palm.

"With those eyes of yours, I figured you could use these. It's from Madara's cache, when I was living in Atlantis with that other immortal lunatic," he said. I looked to the glasses for a moment. Although chakra is invisible, the Byakugan allowed me to see the swirls of blue energy that radiated from the accessory on Hidan's person. I took the lens hesitantly. Hidan's hands went to his hips afterward. I looked to him questioningly. "Don't look at me like that. It's the glasses you asked him to make, 400 years ago."

"Um... 400 years..." I muttered, racking my brain a bit in order to retrieve the necessary information that I had seemingly forgotten. Hidan rolled his eyes.

"For those shitty eyes of yours...?" he said mockingly. It was then that the memory began returning to me. "Since you're neither an Uchiha nor a Hyuga, you can't turn off either eye - only casting one hell of a sealing jutsu on them to reduce their continuous chakra toll on your body, and so others wouldn't see what kind of freak you are. Honestly, red and pale eyes? You're all kinds of stupid, letting your friends give you those things."

That's right, now I remember. I asked Madara to craft me a pair of lenses, or at least contacts, that would remove the chakra-draining effects from having both bloodline limits active all the time. The sealing jutsu I place on them only reduces the amount of chakra drained by about twenty-five or thirty percent, as well as masking their physical traits with that of the original colors of my previous eyes. The purpose of the glasses would be to completely nullify the chakra drain as well as permanently mask my red and pale eye colors back to the old blue... that is unless Madara didn't do his job right.

"Of course he did his job right," he suddenly said.

"How did you..."

"Your face says it all," he said.

"By the way, how did you-"

"The church that I service is only a few blocks away, moron," he said, once more interrupting me. This is starting to feel weird, which is odd since I do it to Ino all the time. "Do you know how loud you and that nine-tails bitch are? I was neck-deep with the congregation trying to find out where all the earthquakes were coming from. But because I'm so awesome, I was able to shut them up before coming here. As for the glasses, I was supposed to give them to you at your princess's little rehearsal, but it slipped my mind."

While listening intently, I wore the glasses on. Immediately, my body felt lighter and stronger. All of the chakra-draining effects of both bloodline limits had gone completely.

"Wow, I haven't felt this great in centuries," I commented, marveling the abilities of my new spectacles.

"Yeah, yeah, get to work already," he said. "Now hurry up and silence that wench, will you? If I get anymore complaints from my people, I'm comin' after that fox and I'll rip its tails with my bare hands. Since you're collecting those demon-spirit women of yours, I'll assume you'll want as little damage to the beast as possible."

It's sad that he knows about my platoon, sort of demoting him to creeper status.

"Right, thanks for the glasses, Hidan," I said as I took off, leaving the religious nutcase in my nearly demolished jet-plane landing zone.

If what Hidan says is true and the glasses are precisely to my specifications, the special chakra wrapped around it will seal the Sharingan and Byakugan completely until the time comes when I need them. My old blue eyes will also be shown to the general public - a permanent genjutsu that requires no chakra, as long as the glasses are on. These better work. I paid not only a small fortune of Aztec gold for them, but a good chunk of my own blood so he could get the procedure done as perfectly as possible.

What Madara did with that Aztec gold, I have no idea nor do I want to find out.

As I leaped onto the roof of a tall building, I paused and conjured a specific shadow clone - one of the eight who have fallen in love with my subordinates. The eight have their own personalities and memories, and are stronger than any other clone in my arsenal. For what's about to happen, I can't entrust Ino's safety, as well as that of my platoon, to a normal shadow clone.

Although he's one of the eight, he's in the physical form of an ordinary shadow clone. This particular jutsu is different from the one I came across in one of the many jutsu scrolls I packed with me, before leaving the village; it's different in the sense that the body is that of a normal shadow clone, but the persona and memories of the me who fell in love with one of my platoon members are all in there. This one can be dismissed in much the same way as a mundane clone, though I'm not too sure he'd be too happy about it.

I looked to him, examining his appearance.

The other blond didn't have my special glasses; a special jutsu protects it from being replicated. He doesn't have the Sharingan or Byakugan either, an odd fact since we're supposed to be carbon copies of each other. But once I noticed the ripped casual wear, I realized I most likely wore the same thing. Sheesh, I look more beaten up than I thought.

"Return to America and try to contain the situation regarding Kushina. Conjure a shadow clone and have it transform into her. The rest is up to you," I told him. "I have to chase after the fox and make sure it doesn't hurt anyone anymore."

"Sounds good," said the clone, turning away. "But I ought to let you know that your girlfriend will easily be able to tell that I'm a shadow clone. We've exposed her to too much of this as it is."

Your girlfriend, he says. So much for being a clone of me.

"Anyway, once I seal this matter, I'm going off on my own until you get back. I'll put on the best poker face I've got, but you know as well as I that my heart belongs to Ichibi and her alone," he said. I mentally nodded. "Should anything happen, god forbid, her safety is my top priority, not Ino's. That means you better hurry and capture mother-dearest."

"Ichibi... that girl never was the type for manners or respect. You reflect her well," I said. "Whatever, fine. Just make sure you watch over them until I get back. And don't make Ino too jealous. If you're going off with Ichibi, don't let her see."

"I'll do my best," he said as he formed a hand seal. "Ninja Art: Flying Thunder God."

As those words left his lips, his body vanished in the wind. I sighed for a moment before properly adjusting the glasses in front of my eyes, and continued my pursuit for Kyuubi.

* * *

**Shadow Clone's PoV  
**

**(Careful, this part can get pretty confusing.)  
**

* * *

Finally, my very own opportunity to see Ichibi again and this time the others' voices won't be in my head. I glanced at the original for a moment, our backs against each other atop the roof of a building, before I formed the hand seal for our teleportation jutsu and left the scene. I appeared beside Ino, who was impatiently pacing back and forth in front of a restroom door. Reacting instantly, I cupped Ino's mouth with my hand and pulled her to a corner. Once her head turned to me, her panicked expression vanished. She sighed a breath of relief after I made sure no one was around.

"Hey, what happened? Are you okay?" she asked, embracing me. She's warm and smells great, but Ichibi is better in both aspects. I returned the hug as well as I could, slightly disgusted that my arms were around the waist of another woman apart from my beloved. The platinum blond pulled away a few seconds later. "Look at you, you're a mess. But your clothes don't look like they suffered from explosion damage. Were you cut by blades?"

"Yeah, but that's not important right now," I said to her. "Where's Ichibi? Is she all right?"

"She's fine; she's and Yonbi are at the scene of the explosion, investigating and looking for you. I'm guessing you used your teleporting jutsu to get to me, using the kunai in my backpack as a marker?" she asked. I breathed a relieved sigh.

"I did. Anyway, I need you to stay with Hachibi until I can get this mess sorted out," I said, turning to leave the building when Ino held me by my shoulder sleeve. I looked to her. "What's wrong?"

"Are you okay?" she repeated, eyes narrowed. "You're acting a bit off. Why would you even worry about Ichibi? She and Yonbi were with me, far from you, when the explosion occurred."

I forcefully tugged my arm back, removing her hold from me. Although the original and I are supposed to be the same, I share little feelings for Ino. When I think about a girl, the only face that comes up is the one my heart yearns for most. I'm only a shadow clone, I know that, but I have my own feelings and my own heart. I just can't see anyone else the way I see Ichibi.

"She's a part of my platoon, and they are everything to me. I can sense Hachibi inside the restroom, which explains why you were waiting out here," I said, looking towards the door. "Like I said, stay with her for now. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Once more, she held the same spot.

"Hold on, what's going on? Why are you in a rush to get to her? She left only a few minutes ago, so I'm sure she's fine."

Without a word of reply, I pulled myself away from her hold a second time, dashing out of the door and towards holding cell 3-D, disregarding the other blond's shouts of my name. I jumped atop the roofs as I made my way there. Dozens of soldiers were running all over the place. At least they ran in coordinated lines instead of spreading apart. This way, they at least look like they've been properly trained. They held assault rifles and hand guns, probably thinking that the Kyuubi would be harmed by such mundane weapons.

I continued jumping from one rooftop to another when I spotted two particular women running towards my very same direction. Although they had a good few minutes of a head start on me, I was storming through the military base at top speed. It's no surprise that I managed to catch up to them. I suppose my somewhat inhuman stamina stretched some help out as well.

The problem here is that she isn't alone; Yonbi is with her. I have no feelings of displeasure for Yonbi, but I want some time alone with Ichibi before the original dismisses me. With the Sharingan and Byakugan in his arsenal, as well as Sage Mode, taking down the Kyuubi shouldn't be too difficult. Catching up with it is another story. I have some time, but I can't waste a moment of it.

'Hey, take me out. I'll snatch Yonbi away. I want some time with her too!' shouted a voice inside me. It must be the one in love with my fourth platoon member.

Normally, only the original can summon us; we're different from normal shadow clones in that we have our own personalities, probably something to do with those tailed beast reincarnations that we bore feelings for. The fourth clone must have sneaked away with me when I was summoned, knowing he'd get the same shot as me in meeting our loved ones.

I formed a hand seal to bring the fourth clone out of me. The usual puff of smoke appeared beside me, but there was no one there when said smoke cleared. Come to think of it, Yonbi wasn't anywhere near Ichibi anymore either. That guy... even with split chakras, he was able to move faster than I could see. We're nowhere near as powerful as our original, but we're still stronger than normal clones.

Taking initiative, I hopped down from the roof and landed behind my one-sided lover.

"Yonbi, what the hell? Where'd you-" she stopped as she turned my way, formerly spinning in almost every direction to search for her surrogate sister. As soon as our eyes met, there were no words. Instead, her arms shot around my torso - her face to my chest.

"Hey, miss me?" I asked, my hand to the side of her head. Her smooth, black hair was up in a bun, reaching below her shoulders if let down.

"General," she muttered into my shirt before pulling away slightly, eyes trailing all over my front exterior. "Your clothes are in rags. What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm all right. And don't worry about the explosion either. I was charged with taking care of a crazy cadet, but I took care of it. I do hope the Lieutenant is doing fine, though," I answered, recalling earlier events.

"Whatever - I'm just glad you're alive," she said, looking around her. "By the way, have you seen-"

* * *

"- Ichibi? She was with me a second ago, then she's gone, and you come out of nowhere, General," said Yonbi, possibly not realizing that I moved us several buildings away from Ichibi and the other clone. I hope that guy was smart enough to cast a genjutsu on himself so that he'd appear as someone else in the eyes of others, aside from his lover, just as I did.

There are soldiers running all over the place and it would be a hindrance if he were seen at another place while I'm here with Yonbi. Then again, like Ichibi, he's the shoot-first-ask-questions-later type of guy. I wouldn't be surprised if our cover was blown before finishing the mission that we were sent here to do by the original.

"No need to be so formal; Call me Naruto when it's just us," I said to her. She looked away slightly, an equally slight smile curving at the corner of her lips.

"Stop it... Naruto. This isn't the time," she said with a chuckle. "We have to find Ichibi and tell her you're all right. She's worried about you too."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"It's just us right now, so let's worry about Ichibi later. She can take care of herself," I said, pulling her closer into an eventual kiss. Yonbi reluctant for but a brief moment before deciding it was futile to resist what ever cell of her body was shouting for. Her arms coiled around my neck as mine wrapped around her slender waist.

For so long, I've wanted this. Just us, together like this, it's everything I've ever dreamed of ever since she took an interest in me. I want her so bad, I want this moment to last forever... but it can't, or at least not yet. I reeled my head back a bit, ending this kiss briefly, but Yonbi's sudden initiative took me by surprise; she kissed me back. She must want this as much as I do.

Every inch of my being wants this.

"Wait," she pulled away abruptly. "What are we doing? What about the others? What about Ino?"

"Never mind them. Let's just-"

* * *

"- enjoy the current moment," I said to Ichibi. Her body was pressed against a wall, between two other buildings, my hands all over her toned body. I've touched every bit of her upper body, as well as her black stocking-covered thighs, without even a second's worth of complaint out of her. She wants this, we both do.

"Gener- Naruto... please take me right now. I don't care that we're at the base, or that other soldiers are scattered over the area, investigating the explosion or looking for you," she said, huffing a bit from our intense make-out session. "I'm not as romantic as the others; I don't give a shit that we're outside and not in a love hotel, or that there are no candles, or even the fact that my back is against concrete instead of a bed. I just want you, Naruto."

As if responding to her wish, my lips met with hers again - hands trailing up her thighs, mid-section, breasts, shoulders, and eventually her cheeks. After removing the lock on her hair, allowing them to flow freely from her head like a waterfall, she pushed me against the wall behind, hands all over my hair, neck, torso, and pelvis.

We took turns removing every article of clothing, starting from the top, while devouring each other's lips. Hers are soft, creamy, nothing like Ino's, not that I ever liked the taste of that dumb blond's skin. What the original sees in that bimbo goes beyond me. I'm almost ashamed to be a clone of him. But all thoughts of Ino were washed away when-

- Yonbi went down on my chest, her lips on my abdomen, working her way down to my-

* * *

**Back to Naruto's PoV**

* * *

"Pen- wait, what?" I found myself thinking, while tracking the traces of the Kyuubi's chakra in the air, not to mention the destruction it left in its path. Why am I thinking of these things? Better yet, why is my body getting so warm? I know it isn't from the prior engagement with the fox; that's a different kind of heat.

I stopped all movement, atop the roof of a small restaurant. Thinking it was nothing but my imagination, I was about to continue when the lower region of my body tingled into an eventual shake and quake. The feeling was so strong that my knees buckled, forcing me to shoot some chakra into my joints to prevent myself from falling apart.

'It's those two; Ichi and Yon,' said one of the many voices in my head. They've been acting up ever since I summoned that damn clone. 'Numero cuatro hopped in for the ride, knowing this'd be his best chance to get his tail.'

"Hachiruto..." I whispered into the air, referring to my wisest shadow clone, the one who fell in love with Hachibi. I hadn't really given much thought into their names, but they all agreed to take a hybrid name of mine and the tailed beast reincarnation who stole their supposed hearts. "How did Yoruto jump out? I only summoned Ichiruto, right?"

'Sure, but love makes us do crazy things, right?' Shichiruto commented.

'Come to think of it, why don't you let the rest of us out too?' asked Niruto.

'He can't,' said Saruto. 'Our overall power splits whenever he summons one of us.'

'Well said,' Goruto and Rokuto added simultaneously. It's hard to believe that even amongst clones, those two are practically twins. They're closer to each other than I am, and I'm the real Naruto. 'At this point, we're already at a disadvantage against Kyuubi, when we find her. Naruto, splitting up was a bad idea. You have to undo the jutsu.'

'Right," said Hachiruto. 'The rest of us wants to see the other platoon members, but we actually think with our primary brains, not the secondary one down there. We'll hold them down until you find it right to allow us to be with the ones we love.'

"Damn, why didn't I just summon you, Hachiruto?" I asked, crossing my index and middle finger, from other hands, together. Instantly, both alternate personas returned to me, their physical bodies vanishing in a cloud of smoke. As quickly as they returned to me, the other personas held them down. It's like I can see everything they're doing, as if they're in front of me. The two tried their best to break free, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"You blatantly disobeyed my order, Ichiruto, but I'm willing to look past that. I'll still release you, along with the others, in due time," I said, trying to compromise with them. "But that time isn't now. I have to deal with our mother and I can't afford either of you messing me up while I'm doing our best to subdue her. Maybe this piece of information escaped you two, but I can feel everything you're going through, especially your recent climax, Ichiruto."

'- mmphf! Mmmpphhff! Pppmmff- uck - you-mmf!'

'Shichi, hold him down!'

'Shut up, Roku! He's stronger than he looks.'

'Go on, Naruto. We'll hold these two down. Just find the Kyuubi, subdue her, summon me, and I'll seal its chakra away. After that, you can return to America. I'm sorry, but lying to Ichibi and Yonbi will be your problem,' said Hachiruto, cutting off connection with me and the rest of them.

I took a deep breath, my original power returning as soon as the two clones did. When everything was set, I returned to tracking the Kyuubi's chakra. Why I summoned Ichiruto, to deal with the nonsense in America, I don't know, but it was a mistake. I shouldn't have done that, knowing Ichibi will be there to cloud his judgment. I should have sent Niruto, Goruto, or someone else whose tailed beast lover isn't present overseas.

"I'm sorry Ichiruto, Yoruto, but this is for the best right now," I said to myself as I straightened out my spectacles and continued following the Kyuubi's trail. As soon as I took a step, my body halted. Knowing those two, or at least Ichiruto, he must have given Ino reason to question my actions in the future. I have to set things straight, right now, or I won't be able to concentrate when fighting the Kyuubi later.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu," I whispered, after running through the necessary seals, as a small toad appeared before me. It wore a red vest and was about the same size as Gamakichi when I first met him. I pulled out a small piece of paper, from my camo shirt-pocket, and scribbled a note on it before placing on the lips of the summoned toad. "Gamaricho, I need you to travel to America and follow Ino's scent. Give this note to her, okay?"

With a brief nod, the toad formed a hand seal and vanished the same way he came.

I hope that note gets to her safely. I'll have to trust that that toad will be able to deliver it. For now, my priority is the Kyuubi. I can't let it destroy more of Japan. It's already a nightmare that people have seen its fox-cloaked form. All of this should have died out a long time ago. It's times like these when I feel I should have just died with the others. None of this would be here, plaguing these people, if I wasn't here to start it all over again.

'Yo, quit talking to yourself and get a move on!' shouted Hachiruto. So much for cutting connection earlier. I scoffed lightly and returned on the path of broken roads, smashed cars, and people running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I have a lot of work ahead of me and there will be no rest for a while.

But no matter what, I have to capture Kyuubi. If not for this modern world's safety, but to keep it away from Madara. I can only hope its trails of destruction hasn't attracted said Uchiha's attention yet. The Kyuubi is already a tough enough adversary, but dealing with Madara as well would be a problem I'd rather not face right now.

I have enough issues going around. Speaking of... I better get something straightened out before the guilt eats me from the inside. I don't want this to end up like that time when I kissed Hinata during our field trip and didn't tell Ino about it until the overwhelming shame practically took me over.

I took a deep breath and let it out before removing the special glasses from my eyesight, folding them into one hand.

The sealing chakra on my eyes loosened until both bloodline limits emerged. Since the glasses are within my person, the chakra drain from the active Sharingan and Byakugan are not as heavy, but still present. Running through one-handed seals and finally landing on the last seal, I closed my right eye in order to focus my chakra on the left. It's pretty difficult to do this while moving, but I can't afford to lose track of the Kyuubi. The Byakugan can search for that accursed thing, but I need to get this done before I encounter it for round two.

"Sharingan Art: Mind Link Jutsu," I said, moving the spectacle-occupied hand to the silver-chained necklace heirloom that Ino gave me, located around my neck. A couple of lines of blood trailed down my left socket as a brief jolt of pain ran through my body. One of these days, I'm gonna have to master these damn eyes. These pain spasms from using eye-related jutsus will be the end of me, otherwise.

"Ino, can you hear me?" I asked.

"N... aru... to... I hear... how?" the connection must be weaker than I thought. But if she can at least hear me, then that means she's wearing Tsunade's necklace. It was a chancy gamble, but it's good that it turned out all right.

"Hold on to the necklace I gave you."

"I... what... okay, I'm holding it. What's going on?" she spoke clearly. "How is this happening? I can hear you in my head."

"I'll tell you another time. Listen, I'm no longer in America, but back in Japan, using my Flying Thunder God jutsu. I was tasked to subdue a cadet, in one of the holding cells, but it turns out that she's possessed by the same demon I once was. I told you about this, right?" I asked, hoping she had remembered.

"Yes, the nine-tailed fox spirit. I remember," she said. "I'm guessing you took her with you to Japan?"

"I did. But before I go any further, I just have to apologize for-"

"Don't worry, it was a clone, I get it," she said. I sighed in relief. "Give me a little more credit, Naruto. When that clone appeared here, I could already tell that something was going on, that he wasn't the real you. I don't know why he was so worried about Ichibi, but he was a real jerk to me and I know you'd never be that way to anyone."

"You're amazing, you know that?"

"I know," she chuckled. "So what's with the long-distance proverbial phone call?"

"Well, you knocked out about half the reason. As for the other half, the nine-tails, in all its demonic glory, is loose in Japan. It's already been seen by some people here and has wrecked more trouble than I'm willing to stomach," I said. "I was fighting it earlier, when you called me via cell phone, which was hacked to pieces with the fox's claw."

"Oh, so that's what happened," she said.

"Anyway, I'm bringing out the big guns. I'll get it this time, for sure. I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Don't worry about me; you just do what you need to do. Be the hero you always have been, but make sure you come back to me in one piece, okay? That's all I really want," she said. "That's my eighteenth wish, Naruto. Wherever you go, just come back to me."

I stopped in my tracks. This conversation just got serious.

"You aren't supposed to tell anyone your birthday wish, or it won't come true."

"It will, because you're going to promise me, right now, and you never break your promises."

"Ino..."

"Promise me, Naruto. When you catch the nine-tails, after you finish your business with it, you'll come back to me, right?" she asked, her voice trembling. It's like she knows that something big is going to happen, something that I, with all my power and experience, am not aware of. "This won't be like that time when you were almost killed in that car accident. That's not going to happen again. Promise me that you'll never make me feel that kind of pain again."

"I promise," I said somewhat reluctantly. Knowing my luck and previous experiences with life and death situations, keeping this promise may be a toughie. I'm dealing with the Kyuubi here, for heaven's sake, but what else can I say to comfort Ino? I don't plan on charging in, guns-a-blazing and getting my ass chewed out, but this is going to be one hell of a fight.

I hope I didn't just lie to her.

"Okay, then there's nothing to worry about," she sniffed. My heart sank at that. She didn't sound very convinced. I know she believes in my power, but she isn't stupid. There's a chance that the Kyuubi will get the best of me, a chance that all her faith in me will be put to waste. "Go and beat that thing senseless, then come back here so we can have a proper date."

"All right. Wait for me. I'm cutting off the connection now," I said, interrupting the jutsu by placing my glasses back on. Even without the Byakugan to find that fox, all I have to do is follow the trail of destruction and I'm sure it'll take me where I need to go.

'That just got real...' said Shichiruto.

"Yeah," came my grave reply. "Just between us Narutos, what do you think my chances are at making it back to Ino?"

'Do you want me to sugar-coat anything?'

"No. Give it your best shot," I said, bracing myself for the worst.

'Honestly? Slim to none. That fox will tear us apart,' said Rokurito. Yeah, I had the same thought. 'We don't have the power output we once had, even with the Sharingan and Byakugan. I don't want to say this, but maybe we'll have to-'

I stopped my chasing a second time, a figure blurring in front of me.

'Speak of the devil...' said the sixth-me, looking through my eyes at the man with his arms crossed against his chest, smiling at me like he'd just flown through the Bermuda Triangle and made it back to tell the tale.

"Hey there. I heard you were going demon hunting. Mind if I tag along?" he said. I seethed through my teeth. This is definitely not my day.

"Madara..."


End file.
